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
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator
Co-Investigator(s)
Team Members