Abstract Detail

Symbioses: Plant, Animal, and Microbe Interactions

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

A comparative study of the carnivorous pitcher plant microbiome reveals host influence and temporal effects.

Much of our understanding of nutrient acquisition through the host-microbiome relationship has been gained using animal systems. In plants, nutrient acquisition is often facilitated by the rhizosphere microbiome. However, carnivorous plants have evolved alternative strategies to acquiring nutrients. These plants attract, capture, and digest prey; the mechanisms by which this digestion occurs are not fully understood, but are thought to result from a synergistic relationship between microbes and plant enzymes. Sarracenia (New World pitcher plants) capture insects via pitfall traps and are documented to have a diverse assemblage of bacterial and eukaryote communities. We conducted a comparative approach across 15 Sarracenia species in an outdoor common garden to examine the extent of host influence on pitcher microbiome. Furthermore, samples were collected in the spring and fall over the course of two years to assess temporal patterns of community assembly. Results suggest host influence on microbiome at both the intraspecific and host phylogenetic level, a pattern indicative of phylosymbiosis. Temporal variation, prey biomass, and proportion of protozoans/rotifers additionally explain a small amount of variation in pitcher bacterial communities.

1 - 823 S. Braddock Ave Apt 2, Pittsburgh, PA, 15221, United States
2 - University of Georgia
3 - Atlanta Botanical Garden

Keywords:
Sarracenia
Microbiome
pitcher plant.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 35, Symbioses: Plant, Animal, and Microbe Interactions
Location: 104/Mayo Civic Center
Date: Wednesday, July 25th, 2018
Time: 10:45 AM
Number: 35011
Abstract ID:148
Candidate for Awards:None