Skip to main content

Consequences of plant genetic variation and the surrounding microbiome on Sphagnum associated nitrogen fixation


EMSL Project ID
50381

Abstract

We propose a collaborative project with JGI and EMSL to determine how Sphagnum peatmoss and microbial genetic variation interact to influence community function at elevated temperatures. As part of a DOE Early Career award, we have developed synthetic community and microbiome transfer approaches where communities can be constructed onto germ-free Sphagnum using laboratory strains or native microbiomes. An exciting result from this newly funded project is that Sphagnum grows better at elevated temperatures when inoculated with a warming adapted microbiome relative to those inoculated with an ambient microbiome or no microbes at all. We seek to engage EMSL and JGI to 1) identify plant genotype by microbiome combinations that influence symbiotic outcomes to elevated temperatures, 2) characterize carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) exchange at subcellular levels using nanoSIMS, and 3) quantify candidate symbiosis gene expression using quantitative FISH. Prior results from an EMSL Rapid Access proposal demonstrate that our system is ideal for advanced imaging and molecular techniques that are typically unsuitable for complex vascular plant -- microbiome systems including mass spectrometry imaging (e.g., MALDI FTICR MSI), fluorescence-based imaging techniques (including confocal and super resolution fluorescence microscopy), meta-transcriptomics (both bacteria and moss genes) and exometabolite analyses. Given the importance of this system to DOE mission (below) and the tractability of this system for synthetic community manipulations and advanced sequencing and imaging technologies, we are well poised to make substantial strides in understanding Sphagnum moss associated N2 fixation and plant-microbe symbiosis in general.

Project Details

Project type
FICUS Research
Start Date
2018-10-01
End Date
2021-09-30
Status
Closed

Team

Principal Investigator

David Weston
Institution
Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Co-Investigator(s)

Wellington Muchero
Institution
Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Team Members

A. Shaw
Institution
Duke University

Dale Pelletier
Institution
Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Rhona Stuart
Institution
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory