The ecological consequences of hybridization of asexual microbial symbionts

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。许多新的植物和动物物种来自不同物种之间的杂交。 虽然研究较少，但微生物物种也会杂交并产生新的遗传物种和变体。 所有植物物种都有微生物伴侣，这些伴侣通常会显着改变植物的生长和性能。 例如，农作物植物根部的微生物伙伴可以增加生长和产量。 该项目将研究真菌内生菌之间杂交的生态后果，这些真菌内生菌是生活在草内的微生物伴侣，并显着改变植物的性能和对干旱和食草动物的抗性。 这种伙伴关系或共生关系已被操纵，以提高饲料和草坪草行业的增长，竞争力和抗虫性。 在原生草中，真菌内生菌似乎经常杂交，以产生在自然界中常见的新菌株。 这些新的内生菌杂交菌株可能以与非杂交菌株非常不同的方式影响生长和种子生产以及竞争能力。 本项目将通过实验研究内生菌杂交对两种本地草：瞌睡草（Achnatherum robustum）和亚利桑那羊茅（Festuca arizonica）的生长和竞争能力的作用。 将在温室和田间实验中操纵土壤水分和营养条件，以测试内生菌杂交增加宿主草在恶劣环境条件下更好地存活和竞争的能力的假设。 该项目具有广泛的影响，努力保护和恢复天然草原，牧场管理，因为这两个研究草是本地物种，是重要的牲畜放牧在美国西南部。 该研究还将提供大学和K-12教育机会。 该项目将支持本科生和研究生接受植物和微生物生态学的研究培训。 本科生将从北卡罗来纳州-格林斯伯勒大学招募，重点是让妇女和少数民族参与进来。 作为该项目的一部分，将与格林斯伯勒科学自然中心和北卡罗来纳州州立公园合作，为当地K-12教师建立暑期实习。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).Many new plant and animal species arise from hybridization between different species. Although less well-studied, microbial species also hybridize and create new genetic species and variants. All plants species harbor microbial partners, and these partners often dramatically alter plant growth and performance. For example, microbial partners in the roots of agricultural crop plants increase growth and yields. This project will examine the ecological consequences of hybridization among fungal endophytes that are microbial partners living inside grasses and that dramatically alter plant performance and resistance to drought and herbivores. This partnership or symbiosis has been manipulated to improve growth, competitiveness, and resistance to insects in the forage and turf grass industry. In native grasses, fungal endophytes appear to hybridize frequently to create new strains that can become common in nature. These new, hybrid strains of endophytes may affect growth and seed production and competitive abilities in ways very different than non-hybrid strains. This project will experimentally examine the role of hybridization of endophytes on growth and competitive abilities of two native grasses: sleepy grass (Achnatherum robustum) and Arizona fescue (Festuca arizonica). Soil water and nutrient conditions will be manipulated in greenhouse and field experiments to test the hypothesis that hybridization of endophytes increases the ability of the host grass to survive and compete better in harsh environmental conditions. This project has broad implications for efforts to conserve and restore native grasslands, and for rangeland management, since both study grasses are native species that are important to livestock grazing in the southwest USA. The research will also provide for collegiate and K-12 educational opportunities. This project will support undergraduate and graduate students to receive research training in plant and microbial ecology. Undergraduate students will be recruited from the University of North Carolina - Greensboro, with an emphasis on involving women and minorities. As part of this project, a summer internship for local K-12 teachers will be established in partnership with The Science Nature Center of Greensboro and North Carolina State Parks.