Abstract Detail

Symbioses: Plant, Animal, and Microbe Interactions

Stephens, Jessica [1], Rogers, Willie [2], Determann, Ron [3], Malmberg, Russell [2].

Plants have guts, too! A comparative analysis of the carnivorous pitcher plant (Sarracenia sp.) microbiome.

The microbiome can extend the phenotypic capabilities of its host, potentially driving eukaryote evolution. In particular, it can influence host health and nutrient acquisition. Similar to animal gut microbiomes, the plant rhizosphere assists in the nutrient uptake by the host plant. A key difference is the ability of the animal gut microbiome to facilitate the breakdown of materials containing essential nutrients. Unique in the plant kingdom are carnivorous plants, which garner most of their nutrients through the digestion and absorption of insect prey, similar to animals. The mechanisms by which this occurs is not fully understood, but it is thought to result as a synergistic relationship of microorganisms and plant enzymes. The degree of synergy is predicted to vary across different carnivorous plant species based on things such as diet, trap type, location, and species relationships. Sarracenia (pitcher plants) traps insects via passive pitfall traps and prey decomposition occurs over weeks. Recent work highlights a diverse assemblage of bacteria and temporal variation across some species, but little is know about the community structure across the genus. Here, we did a comparative approach to examine how the pitcher plant microbiome is structured across closely related species and whether there is community structure between seasons and years. To this end, eight leaves per 14 pitcher plant species were collected in spring and fall of 2014 and 2015 at an outdoor common garden. Communities were determined using 16S rRNA and analyzed in QIIME. Results suggest that there are significant differences between microbiomes in spring and fall samples within a species. Additionally, there are significant differences among Sarracenia species microbiomes within a season and these microbiome differences are highly correlated with diet and leaf traits. Examination within species that feed primarily on flying insects shows additional community differences, suggesting that the plant may be imposing some control on the microbiome. Lastly, nitrogen-fixing bacteria were prominent members of the community, making up roughly 10-25% of the bacteria community, possibly indicating another way in which these species get nitrogen in nutrient poor environments.

1 - University Of Georgia, Plant Biology, 2502 Miller Plant Sciences, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
2 - University Of Georgia, Plant Biology, 2502 Miller Plant Sciences, Athens, GA, 30602
3 - Atlanta Botanical Garden, 1345 Piedmont Ave NE, Atlanta, GA, 30309

Keywords:
bacteria
microbes
Insectivorous.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 35, Symbioses: Plant, Animal, and Microbe Interactions
Location: 202/Savannah International Trade and Convention Center
Date: Wednesday, August 3rd, 2016
Time: 8:30 AM
Number: 35003
Abstract ID:547
Candidate for Awards:None