DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Investigating life history and environmental drivers structuring host-associated assemblages of mycorrhizal and endophytic fungi in subalpine tree islands

论文研究：调查亚高山树岛中与宿主相关的菌根和内生真菌组合的生命史和环境驱动因素

• 批准号: 1403215
• 负责人: Thomas Bruns
• 金额: $ 1.93万
• 依托单位: University of California-Berkeley
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2014-06-01 至 2017-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1403215&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: DISSERTATION; RESEARCH; Investigating; life; history

Prior to recent advances in DNA sequencing technologies, scientists could never have imagined the vast microbial diversity associated with each individual plant and animal. Rather than individual discrete organisms, all higher organisms are home to diverse consortia of microscopic bacteria and fungi, called microbes. From our mouths to plants' leaves, unique communities of microorganisms play important roles in higher organisms'ability to function. This research focuses on understanding the mechanisms driving the community structure of the fungi associated with the leaves of plants (foliar endophytes) and beneficial fungi associated with the roots of trees (ectomycorrhizal fungi). This research has broad ranging societal impacts by uncovering fungal diversity that can be helpful to improving tree health, ecosystem stability, and resilience to climate change. One of the focal trees in this study, the white bark pine, is a foundation species central to ecosystem function in subalpine environments. White bark pine trees are highly threatened by a combination of blister rust, mountain pine beetles, and climate change. Foliar endophytes are known to improve the resistance of trees to both disease and temperature fluctuations caused by climate change. Thus, uncovering the diversity of foliar endophytes associated with these trees has the potential to lead to beneficial treatments for this endangered tree species. In addition, this project also has strong educational and outreach components. Students involved in the proposed work will gain experience with fieldwork and cutting edge DNA sequencing methods. Despite being incredibly important drivers of plant community composition and ecosystem function, little is known about the basic biology or patterns of diversity of these fungi. This project applies cutting edge next generation sequencing technologies to isolated pine trees located in Yosemite National Park to answer important questions about the community structure, diversity, and basic biology of these fungi. Here a simple host-island setting is used to test for the effect of dispersal distance, host type, environment (host physiology, soil chemistry & season), on community structure in two host-dependent guilds of fungi. The main aim of this proposal is to compare the relative effects of niche versus dispersal assembly in two functional guilds of host-associated fungi.

在DNA测序技术取得最新进展之前，科学家们永远无法想象与每种植物和动物相关的微生物多样性。所有的高等生物都是微生物的家园，而不是单个的离散生物。从我们的嘴巴到植物的叶子，独特的微生物群落在高等生物的功能中发挥着重要作用。本研究的重点是了解与植物叶片相关的真菌（叶内生菌）和与树木根部相关的有益真菌（外生菌根真菌）的群落结构的驱动机制。这项研究具有广泛的社会影响，揭示了真菌多样性，有助于改善树木健康，生态系统稳定性和对气候变化的适应能力。本研究的重点树种之一，白色树皮松，是亚高山生态系统功能的基础物种。白色树皮松树受到疱锈病、山松甲虫和气候变化的严重威胁。已知叶面内生菌可以提高树木对疾病和气候变化引起的温度波动的抵抗力。因此，揭示与这些树木相关的叶面内生菌的多样性有可能导致这种濒危树种的有益治疗。此外，该项目还具有很强的教育和外联内容。参与拟议工作的学生将获得实地考察和尖端DNA测序方法的经验。尽管它们是植物群落组成和生态系统功能的重要驱动因素，但人们对这些真菌的基本生物学或多样性模式知之甚少。该项目将尖端的下一代测序技术应用于位于约塞米蒂国家公园的孤立松树，以回答有关这些真菌的群落结构，多样性和基本生物学的重要问题。在这里，一个简单的主机岛设置是用来测试的传播距离，主机类型，环境（主机生理，土壤化学季节），在两个主机依赖的真菌公会的社区结构的影响。这个建议的主要目的是比较生态位与传播大会的相对影响，在两个功能团的主机相关的真菌。