Metagenomic Insights into the Composition and Function of Microbes Associated with the Rootzone of Datura inoxia.

Savanah Senn,Kelly Pangell,Adrianna L Bowerman

doi:10.3390/biotech11010001

Savanah Senn, Kelly Pangell + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/biotech11010001

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Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to elucidate the roles that microbes may be playing in the rootzone of the medicinal plant Datura inoxia. We hypothesized that the microbes associated with the Datura rootzone would be significantly different than the similar surrounding fields in composition and function. We also hypothesized that rhizospheric and endophytic microbes would be associated with similar metabolic functions to the plant rootzone they inhabited. The methods employed were microbial barcoding, tests of essential oils against antibiotic resistant bacteria and other soil bacterial isolates, 16S Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) metabarcoding, and Whole Genome Shotgun (WGS) taxonomic and functional analyses. A few of the main bacterial genera of interest that were differentially abundant in the Datura root microbiome were Flavobacterium (p = 0.007), Chitinophaga (p = 0.0007), Pedobacter (p = 6 × 10−5), Bradyhizobium (p = 1 × 10−8), and Paenibacillus (p = 1.46 × 10−6). There was significant evidence that the microbes associated with the Datura rootzone had elevated function related to bacterial chalcone synthase (p = 1.49 × 10−3) and permease genes (p < 0.003). There was some evidence that microbial functions in the Datura rootzone provided precursors to important plant bioactive molecules or were beneficial to plant growth. This is important because these compounds are phyto-protective antioxidants and are precursors to many aromatic bioactive compounds that are relevant to human health. In the context of known interactions, and current results, plants and microbes influence the flavonoid biosynthetic pathways of one other, in terms of the regulation of the phenylpropanoid pathway. This is the first study to focus on the microbial ecology of the Datura rootzone. There are possible biopharmaceutical and agricultural applications of the natural interplay that was discovered during this study of the Datura inoxia rhizosphere.

Highlights

Agriculture Sciences Department, Los Angeles Pierce College, 6201 Winnetka Avenue, PMB 553, Environmental Sciences Graduate Program, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
We hypothesized that the microbes associated with the Datura rootzone would be significantly different than the similar surrounding fields in composition and function
We hypothesized that rhizospheric and endophytic microbes would be associated with similar metabolic functions to the plant rootzone they inhabited

Summary

Introduction

Agriculture Sciences Department, Los Angeles Pierce College, 6201 Winnetka Avenue, PMB 553, Environmental Sciences Graduate Program, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA. There was some evidence that microbial functions in the Datura rootzone provided precursors to important plant bioactive molecules or were beneficial to plant growth. This is important because these compounds are phyto-protective antioxidants and are precursors to many aromatic bioactive compounds that are relevant to human health. In the context of known interactions, and current results, plants and microbes influence the flavonoid biosynthetic pathways of one other, in terms of the regulation of the phenylpropanoid pathway. This is the first study to focus on the microbial ecology of the Datura rootzone. Other compounds may include scopoletin [2], which is a fluorescent coumarin that has antifungal properties against antibiotic resistant strains of Candida [3]

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