CRUI: A Multidisciplinary Test of Mutualistic Benefits Fungal Endophytes Provide Their Host Plants

生活在草中的真菌形成了一种互惠互利的关系（互利共生），真菌和草都从中受益。 然而，对草的好处可能会因具体的真菌种类而异。 我们预测，互利共生的强度将取决于真菌繁殖的方法。 通过感染宿主种子繁殖的真菌被认为是强大的互利共生者。 相比之下，那些通过孢子生产繁殖的物种被认为是弱互利者，甚至可能与宿主不互利。 在这个项目中，来自3个学科和2个机构的5名研究人员将使用多学科方法来确定这些真菌是否遵循这些预测。 一位研究人员（希望学院的布尔特曼）将测试植物受伤是否会通过生物碱的产生来诱导对食草昆虫的抗性。 这将使用表现出不同繁殖方法的各种真菌物种来完成。 这些实验将与Schardl（肯塔基州大学）和Bultman对生物碱生物合成基因调控的分子研究相结合。 除了保护免受草食动物的侵害外，真菌还可以增强其植物宿主的耐旱性。 Swarthout（希望学院）将测试耐旱性是否是由于光合作用中利用的酶的差异效率，通过比较耐旱性在真菌感染与未感染的植物使用各种草和真菌物种。 布朗大学（霍普学院）将使用分析化学方法来确定所有实验植物中的生物碱浓度，并将这些浓度与观察到的效果相关联。 数学家Andersen和Bultman将合作，通过建立理论模型并通过实地实验进行经验测试，确定真菌如何在多营养水平的背景下影响植物适应性。拟议的工作将填补我们对真菌生态作用的一般理解的空白。拟议的项目将产生超越上述知识贡献的几个更广泛的影响。 它将每年为7-8名本科生提供生态研究方面的尖端多学科培训。 通过与当地社区学院的伙伴关系，每年将有2名少数民族学生参加霍普学院的暑期研究。 此外，数学生物学跨学科课程的实验室模块将从拟议研究的生态建模组件开发。 博士后研究人员每年还将通过希望学院的财政支持获得本科教学机会。

Fungi that live within grasses form a mutually beneficial association (mutualism) in which both the fungus and the grass benefit. Yet, the benefits to the grass may vary depending on the specific fungal species. We predict that the strength of the mutualism will depend upon the method by which the fungi reproduce. Fungi that reproduce by infecting seeds of their hosts are expected to be strong mutualists. In contrast, those that reproduce through spore production are expected to be weak mutualists or perhaps not even mutualistic with their hosts. In this project, five investigators from 3 disciplines and 2 institutions will use a multidisciplinary approach to determine if these fungi follow these predictions. One investigator (Bultman, at Hope College) will test if wounding of plants induces resistance to herbivorous insects through alkaloid production. This will be done using a variety of fungal species exhibiting different reproductive methods. These experiments will be coupled with molecular investigations of the regulation of alkaloid biosynthesis genes by Schardl (at the University of Kentucky) and Bultman. In addition to protection from herbivory, the fungi may enhance the drought tolerance of their plant hosts. Swarthout (Hope College) will test if drought tolerance is due to differential efficiency of enzymes utilized in photosynthesis, by comparing drought tolerance in fungally-infected vs. uninfected plants using a variety of grass and fungal species. Brown (Hope College) will use analytical chemistry methods to determine alkaloid concentrations in all experimental plants and correlate these concentrations to the observed effects. Andersen, a mathematician, and Bultman will collaborate to determine how the fungi affect plant fitness within a multitrophic level context through building theoretical models and empirically testing them with field experiments. The proposed work will address gaps in our general understanding of the ecological roles of fungi.The proposed project will have several broader impacts that go beyond the intellectual contributions described above. It will provide cutting-edge, multidisciplinary training in ecological research to 7-8 undergraduate students each year. Through a partnership with a local community college, 2 minority students annually will be involved in summer research at Hope College. Furthermore, a laboratory module for an interdisciplinary course in Mathematical Biology will be developed from the ecological modeling component of the proposed research. A post-doctoral researcher will also gain undergraduate teaching opportunities each year through financial support from Hope College.