Top-down and bottom-up regulation of herbivores: Spodoptera frugiperda turns tables on endophyte-mediated plant defence and virulence of an entomopathogenic nematode

Abstract.  1. The fungus Neotyphodium lolii forms a symbiotic relationship with its grass host Lolium perenne (perennial ryegrass). The fungus benefits from access to plant nutrients and photosynthate, whereas the plant benefits from acquired chemical defence against herbivory.
2. This study examined the potential for endophyte-mediated plant defences to influence interactions between fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda , and the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae and clarified biological mechanisms underlying the observations made.
3. In laboratory and greenhouse experiments, S. frugiperda larvae were fed endophytic or non-endophytic L. perenne then exposed to S. carpocapsae or injected with the nematodes' symbiotic bacteria Xenorhabdus nematophila .
4. In all instances, S. frugiperda larvae fed endophyte-infected grass suffered significantly lower mortality than those fed non-endophytic plants. Although larvae fed endophyte-infected grass often had significantly lower biomass than those fed uninfected grass, these differences did not account for altered susceptibility to S. carpocapsae .
5. Endophyte-mediated reductions in herbivore susceptibility to the nematode pathogen represent a herbivore adaptation that effectively turns the tables on both plant and natural enemy by reducing the virulence of the nematodes' symbiotic bacteria while expanding the temporal window of herbivory.     

DEFORMATIVE DISEASE IN IRIDAEA LAMINARIOIDES (RHODOPHYTA): GALL DEVELOMENT ASSOCIATED WITH AN ENDOPHYTIC CYANOBACTERIUM1

This study is the first report of an algal disease, developed in close association with an endophytic organism, documented for the southeastern Pacific. We describe a disease affecting wild populations of the red alga Iridaea laminarioides Bory in central Chile, characterized by gall development on the surface of sporophytic, cystocarpic, and immature thalli. These abnormal growths result in severe morphological alterations of the affected thalli. Diseased fronds display an aggregated spatial distribution and occur throughout the year, with a maximum in summer followed by a decline in winter. The presence of galls was not associated with broken or torn fronds. Although causality has not been unequivocally demonstrated, our field and laboratory observations indicate a strong association of the galls with infections by an endophytic cyanobacterium, probably belonging to the genus Pleurocapsa.     

羊奶果根瘤内生菌的亚显微结构

羊奶果是桤木型根瘤。根瘤的横切面是轴对称的圆形结构,含菌细胞分散于皮层组织中。随着根瘤的发育,内生菌也有不同的形态结构。侵染初期的内生菌是一种分枝、具隔膜的菌丝体。幼龄菌丝中含有电子半透明的颗粒,成熟菌丝没有这种颗粒。成熟菌丝顶端会臌大形成具隔膜的椭圆球状泡囊,直径比菌丝大。不同发育时期的泡囊,其形态结构也有差异。     

Microbiological strategies for enhancing biological nitrogen fixation in nonlegumes

In an agro-ecosystem, industrially produced nitrogenous fertilizers are the principal sources of nitrogen for plant growth; unfortunately these also serve as the leading sources of pollution. Hence, it becomes imperative to find pollution-free methods of providing nitrogen to crop plants. A diverse group of free-living, plant associative and symbiotic prokaryotes are able to perform biological nitrogen fixation (BNF). BNF is a two component process involving the nitrogen fixing diazotrophs and the host plant. Symbiotic nitrogen fixation is most efficient as it can fix nitrogen inside the nodule formed on the roots of the plant; delivering nitrogen directly to the host. However, most of the important crop plants are nonleguminous and are unable to form symbiotic associations. In this context, the plant associative and endophytic diazotrophs assume importance. BNF in nonlegumes can be encouraged either through the transfer of BNF traits from legumes or by elevating the nitrogen fixing capacity of the associative and endophytic diazotrophs. In this review we discuss mainly the microbiological strategies which may be used in nonleguminous crops for enhancement of BNF.     

高寒草甸优势植物叶内、根内与土壤原核微生物群落的分异

植物内生菌具有帮助植物吸收营养元素,增强植物免疫力,抵御外界生物和非生物胁迫等功能。植物的根内和叶内存在大量的内生菌,影响着植物的健康生长。但不同植物地下(根内)和地上(叶内)内生原核微生物,以及与土壤微生物在组成和群落结构上的差异和联系还有待探索。以青藏高原高寒草甸三种优势植物青藏苔草(Carex moorcroftii)、火绒草(Leontopodium jacotianum)和高山嵩草(Carex parvula)为对象,研究了高寒草甸优势植物叶内、根内、土壤原核微生物组的组成及其与样品类型和植物类型之间的关系。结果表明:1)在门分类水平上,有13个门在土壤、叶内和根内之间有显著差异,只有5个门在不同植物之间有显著性差异,分别是变形菌门、厚壁菌门、酸杆菌门、疣微菌门以及FBP;2)在α多样性上,同种植物土壤、叶内、根内之间差异显著,而不同植物在土壤和根内差异显著,但在叶内无显著性差异;3)样品类型(叶内、根内以及土壤)是决定植物微生物组差异的最主要因子,对微生物群落变异的贡献度为20.13%;不同植物类型之间微生物群落也有显著性差异,植物类型对总变异的贡献率为14.41%,并且植物类型和植物相关部位(叶内,根内)以及土壤之间有强烈的交互作用(17.40%)。以上结果表明,每种植物叶内、根内以及周边土壤都具有独特的生态位,体现了原核微生物在样品类型和不同植物间上生态位的差异,同时也表明了原核微生物群落对这些生态位的适应性。最后,我们确定了与土壤相比有显著性差异的叶内和根内特有的微生物菌群并对高丰度菌群进行功能预测,以假单胞菌Pseudomonas为代表的菌群在叶内和根内显著富集,这些微生物包含参与多种代谢过程的功能基因,在促进营养元素吸收、提高植物在寒冷中的生态适应性方面有着重要的潜在功能。本研究的结果对深入探索高寒环境下植物-内生微生物互作机制提供了科学数据。     

特色香料作物油樟叶内生Bacillus velezensis YZ12的鉴定及拮抗病原菌活性

植物内生菌关系到植物的健康生长,且与植物产生的相关功效产物紧密关联。以我国四川宜宾油樟叶片分离筛选得到的内生细菌作为研究对象,利用传统微生物培养方法,基于形态学观察,16S rRNA和gyrA基因系统发育分析的多相分类学方法,将其鉴定为贝莱斯芽胞杆菌(Bacillus velezensis);并通过对从油樟叶片中分离的油樟真菌YZP-01以及常见植物病原真菌绳状篮状菌(Talaromyces funiculosus)、拟轮枝镰孢菌(Fusarium verticillioides)、草酸青霉(Penicillium oxalicum)四种致病菌株进行了拮抗试验,发现了该菌株具有广谱且良好的拮抗病原菌活性。使用特定引物扩增功能基因(bioA,bmyB,ituC,fenD,srfAA,srfAB,yngG和yndJ),并成功从菌株YZ12中扩增出这些基因。     

三株芽胞杆菌菌株对松材线虫低温存活与繁殖的影响

为明确细菌在松材线虫生态适应性中的作用,本研究选择与致病相关的松材线虫伴生细菌GD1、马尾松内生细菌GD2以及具有杀松材线虫活性的湿地松内生细菌NJSZ-13为试验对象,测定经这3株芽胞杆菌菌株3个浓度低温驯化10、15和20 d后,在冷冻条件下松材线虫强毒虫株AMA3、中毒虫株AA3和弱毒虫株YW4的存活率和繁殖量。结果表明：低温驯化15 d和20 d后3株菌株对不同毒力线虫的活力影响较驯化10 d后的更显著。在低温驯化15 d、-20℃冷冻处理1 h后,5×10⁶ CFU/mL浓度菌株GD1处理下,虫株AMA3、AA3和YW4的存活率分别为77.22%、83.68%和84.26%,与对照差异显著;5×10⁵ CFU/mL浓度菌株GD1处理下,虫株AMA3、AA3和YW4的存活率分别为75.76%、80.67%和81.50%,与对照差异显著。5×10⁶ CFU/mL和5×10⁵ CFU/mL浓度菌株GD2处理下,与GD1处理组结果相似,菌株NJSZ-13处理组则与菌株GD1和GD2的结果相反。低温驯化15 d、-20℃冷冻处理1 h后,5×10⁶ CFU/mL浓度菌株GD1处理下,虫株AMA3、AA3和YW4的繁殖量分别为7 530、9 317和12 793条/皿,与对照（3 192、3 840和5 823条/皿）差异显著;5×10⁵ CFU/mL浓度菌株GD1处理时,3个虫株的繁殖量均与对照差异显著。而菌株GD2和NJSZ-13处理后,3个虫株的繁殖量均无显著变化。表明不同芽胞杆菌对松材线虫的低温适应性影响存在差异,松材线虫伴生细菌GD1和马尾松内生细菌GD2能增强其低温适应性,而湿地松内生细菌NJSZ-13菌株则相反。     

O-Heterocyclic Embeurekols from Embellisia eureka,an Endophyte of Cladanthus arabicus

Three new polyketides (-)-1 , (+)-1 , and 2 ) were isolated from the EtOAc extract of the fungus Embellisia eureka, an endophyte of the Moroccan plant Cladanthus arabicus (Asteraceae). The structures of these new compounds were determined on the basis of one- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy as well as by high-resolution mass spectrometry. The absolute configurations of (-)-1 , (+)-1 , and 2 were determined by TDDFT ECD calculations of solution conformers, online HPLC-ECD analysis, and the modified Mosher method. Chirality 25:250–256, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Production of phenolics and the emission of volatile organic compounds by perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.)/Neotyphodium lolii association as a response to infection by Fusarium poae

Grasses very often form symbiotic associations with Neotyphodium/Epichloë endophytic fungi. These endophytes often allow the host grass to be protected from different pathogens. However, there is little known about the mechanisms of such endophyte influence on the host. Thus, the purpose of this research was to examine the effect of the N. lolii endophyte on the total production of phenolic compounds, VOCs emission and the resistance of three perennial ryegrass genotypes infected by pathogenic Fusarium poae. Analyses of total phenolics content were performed in control (not inoculated) and inoculated plants after 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 days (DAI) and for VOCs after 0, 3, 6 and 12 DAI. The presence of endophytes significantly reduced the disease index in two of the three genotypes relative to that in E−. Plants infected by N. lolii exhibited higher production of phenolics relative to the E− plants. The highest amounts of phenolics were observed on the second and sixth DAI. Genotype Nl22 showed the strongest effect of the endophyte on the production of phenolics, which increased by over 61%. Both the endophyte infected and non-infected plants emitted most abundantly two GLVs ((Z)-3-hexenal, (Z)-3-hexen-1-yl acetate), three terpenes (linalool, (Z)-ocimene, β-caryophyllene) and three shikimic acid pathway derivatives (benzyl acetate, indole, and methyl salicylate). The endophyte presence and the intervals of VOCs detection were a highly significant source of variation for all emitted volatiles (P < 0.001). The genotype of the perennial ryegrass significantly affected only the emission of methyl salicylate (P < 0.05) and β-caryophyllene (P < 0.05). Most of the VOCs ((Z)-3-hexen-1-yl acetate, (Z)-3-hexenal, linalool and methyl salicylate) reached their highest levels of emission on the sixth DAI, when averaged over genotypes and endophyte status. The results highlight the role of Neotyphodium spp. in the mediation of quadro-trophic interactions among plants, symbiotic endophytes, invertebrate herbivores and plant pathogenic fungi. Our results also confirm the fact that symbiotic plants can activate a defense reaction faster than non-symbiotic plants after a pathogen attack. Thus, N. lolii can be involved in the defense of perennial ryegrass against pathogens and potentially could be central to the host plants’ protection.     

Susceptibility of tall fescue to Rhizoctonia zeae infection as affected by endophyte symbiosis

Endophytic fungi belonging to the genus Neotyphodium often form symbiotic associations with grasses. The host plants usually benefit from the association with an endophyte. Presence of the symbiont may increase host resistance to infection by some pathogens. However, the exact mechanism of the lower susceptibility of endophyte‐infected plants to diseases is still unclear. Growth chamber trials were conducted to determine whether (a) tall fescue plants infected with the endophyte Neotyphodium coenophialum (E+) are more resistant to sheath and leaf spot disease caused by Rhizoctonia zeae than endophyte‐free (E?) plants, and (b) R. zeae growth inhibition is associated with endophyte presence. Tall fescue genotypes, each symbiotic with a genetically different native endophyte strain, were inoculated with isolates of R. zeae. The tillers infection by R. zeae, density of endophyte hyphae and content of total phenolic compounds in tillers were studied. Antifungal activity of the N. coenophialum towards R. zeae, Rhizoctonia solani, Bipolaris sorokiniana and Curvularia lunata was also investigated in dual‐culture assays. For Tf3, Tf4, TfA2 and TfA9 tall fescue genotypes, the E+ plants had reduced R. zeae infection. In the Tf9 and Tf8085 genotypes, R. zeae infection was similar for both E+ and E? plants. The strongest effect was observed for the Tf4 endophyte. A strongly positive correlation (r = 0.94) occurred between endophyte hyphal density and disease index across all tall fescue genotypes. Dual‐culture assays showed no inhibitory interaction between the seven endophyte strains and the R. zeae isolates; however, some endophytes inhibited R. solani, B. sorokiniana and C. lunata. Endophyte presence increased the production of phenolic compounds by the host grasses. The level of phenolics also differed significantly depending on the time of analysis after inoculation of plants by R. zeae. The results indicate that N. coenophialum can suppress disease severity caused by R. zeae infection. The mechanism of higher resistance of E+ plants is likely not based on direct inhibition such as antibiosis or competition. Thus, the induction of specific mechanisms in the host plant, for example, production of phenolic compounds, seems to be the main way of providing resistance to the grass by the endophyte.