EAGER: Developing Chemical Probe Technologies to Explore Glycolipid Exchange Between Camellia sinesis (Tea) and Associated Microbes

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With this award, the Chemistry of Life Processes Program in the Chemistry Division is funding Dr. Jacquelyn Gervay-Hague from The University of California at Davis to study plant and microbe interactions important for the sustainable growth of Camellia sinensis (Tea). Soil microorganisms contribute to the health of plants by breaking down organic matter and providing essential nutrients such as phosphorous and nitrogen. This natural exchange is not well understood, partly due to the complexity of farm settings, which host a wide variety of microorganisms. The tissue culture methods and innovations in chemical probe synthesis advanced in this project simplify the problem by focusing on the chemical actors involved, rather than vast numbers of microorganisms. Student and postdoctoral trainees propagate tea plants in environmentally controlled microbe-free environments where all chemical inputs are measured. Plants growing in this setting are fed chemical compounds that are designed for easy isolation and identification of transformed substances. Plants growing in natural settings are also exposed to the same probes and integrated data analyses reveal differences between these environments. Together, these studies provide a chemical basis for characterizing microbial contributions to the health and sustainability of tea plants. Tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world, besides water. It is a multi-billion dollar import business in the US, where less than 100 acres are currently farmed. The potential for US-grown tea represents an important economic opportunity, if sustainable growing methods can be established. Through the UC Davis Global Tea Initiative, the results of these studies will be communicated to the Global Tea community as well as US-based tea farmers who are invited for field days and seminars in order to maximize knowledge transfer to the farming community.This research undertakes micro-propagation of Camellia sinensis (tea) to establish microbe-free tissue culture (TC) specimens for chemical profiling studies. Various growth stages of aseptic TC are profiled and compared to clones being grown in natural environments with exposure to microorganisms. The plants are fed chemically synthesized probes that are functionalized to enable metabolic pull-down with high sensitivity mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance detection. Trainees learn both targeted and untargeted analysis to differentiate plant and microbial metabolic pathways. Integrated data analyses, including principal component analysis, is implemented to reveal important metabolic relationships and to provide knowledge for developing synergistic and beneficial plant and microbial environments that promote the growth, health and sustainability of US grown tea.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.