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Abstract Detail



Mycological Section

Skaltsas, Demetra [1], Castlebury, Lisa [2], Chaverri, Priscila [1].

Metagenomic assessment of endophytes in seedlings and adults of two tropical euphorbiaceous host genera: Hevea and Micrandra.

Hevea brasiliensis is the primary species for tapped natural rubber and plantation grown trees suffer from a variety of diseases that reduce production or destroy entire plantation areas. Endophytes obtained from the wild that have a highly specialized relationship with their hosts are considered ideal candidates for developing biological controls against diseases of that host. The objectives of this project were to (1) characterize and compare the diversity of culturable and unculturable endophytes obtained from wild Hevea spp. and Micrandra spp. (Euphorbiaceae), and (2) explore host preference or host recurrence across selected species from Hevea and its sister genus, Micrandra. Plant tissue samples were collected from adult and seedling trees located in the Amazon basin (Peru and Brazil). DNA was extracted from adult sapwood tissue and ITS2 was amplified. Sequencing was performed on an Illumina MiSeq. Adult sapwood tissue and seedling twigs were also plated onto PDA+. Isolated fungal endophytes were identified using ITS nuclear ribosomal DNA. In the adult trees, Hypocreales (Ascomycota) were by far the most abundant group using both methods. Trichoderma spp., a well-known mycoparasite, was the most abundant using culturing techniques and Acremonium cf. strictum using metagenomics. In seedlings, Diaporthales were the most abundant group. Interestingly, no Trichoderma species were isolated from the seedlings. Understanding the fungal diversity, host associations or preferences, and spatial distribution of Hevea and related endophytes may provide additional tools for an integrated approach to disease management of plantation grown trees.


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1 - University of Maryland, Department of Plant Sciences and Landscape Architecture, 2112 Plant Sciences Building, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
2 - U.S. Department of Agriculture, ARS Systematic Mycology & Microbiology Lab, Bldg. 010A, Rm. 225, BARC-West, 10300 Baltimore Ave, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA

Keywords:
Tropical forest
Endophytic fungi
Host preference
diversity
Metagenomics.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for Sections
Session: 12
Location: Salon 1/The Shaw Conference Centre
Date: Monday, July 27th, 2015
Time: 1:30 PM
Number: 12001
Abstract ID:103
Candidate for Awards:MSA Best Oral Presentation Award by a Graduate Student


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