Metabolites and microbes of Tetrastigma: the ecology of host choice in Rafflesia and potential applications in ex situ conservation of the worlds largest flower

四柱花的代谢物和微生物：大王花寄主选择的生态学及其在世界最大花卉迁地保护中的潜在应用

• 批准号: 2346626
• 负责人: Jeanmaire Molina
• 金额: $ 27.96万
• 依托单位: Pace University New York Campus
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-07-01 至 2024-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2346626&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Metabolites; microbes; Tetrastigma; ecology; host

Amidst the dwindling rainforests of Southeast Asia, Rafflesia’s rare but massive malodorous maroon flower stands out, deceptively luring carrion flies, hence the common name, “corpse flower”. Unlike most plants, Rafflesia is an obligate plant parasite, bereft of stems, roots, and leaves, and devoid of photosynthesis, which supposedly defines plants. Solely infecting the tropical grape vine Tetrastigma—and only a few species of it—it is unknown why. Despite being a charismatic icon of conservation, there is no western botanic garden that has grown Rafflesia because it is still virtually unknown how. This project aims to understand the ecology of Rafflesia’s host choice—what molecules and microbes in Tetrastigma hosts make them susceptible to Rafflesia infection compared to non-hosts, and how this basic information may be used to guide propagation. Conversely, this project will yield data on the metabolic and microbial processes underlying enhanced host immune function in Tetrastigma, why certain species are not parasitized by Rafflesia, and how this knowledge can be applied in grapes, Tetrastigma’s close relative, to resist parasitic infections. Moreover, the project will engage underrepresented students and catalyze their careers in biodiversity science, while providing capacity building to indigenous communities in the Philippines where samples will be collected. This understanding of the fundamental science may one day allow Rafflesia—the panda of the plant world—to be in full bloom in botanic gardens, fostering education and conservation. Timing is critical, because once extinct, the corpse flower can no longer be revived.Rafflesia (Rafflesiaceae, Malpighiales) is an endophytic holoparasite, completely dependent on its host vine Tetrastigma (Vitaceae, Vitales) for nutrition, living inside it throughout its life and only emerging to flower. However, not all Tetrastigma species support a Rafflesia infection. The project aims to understand the ecology of Rafflesia’s host choice, focusing on the chemistry and microbiota unique to infected host species through metabolite profiling and metagenomic analysis. Comparing multiple Rafflesia-Tetrastigma species systems will clarify common patterns that make certain Tetrastigma spp. hosts versus non-hosts, reveal how different Rafflesia spp. similarly alter host ecology during an infection, as well as decipher the metabolic and microbial idiosyncrasies between species systems that could explain Rafflesia’s host choice. In agriculture, grafting success is dependent on how closely related the scion and rootstock are, but how does Rafflesia, belonging to a different order from its host, successfully evade host immunity, and how can this basic information be applied in preventing graft incompatibility in crops? Resulting data will also reveal the extent of convergent evolution compared to other host-parasite systems, if there are similar host-degrading metabolites in the evolution of heterotrophy in disparate lineages of parasitic plants. These data will elucidate host chemotypes and plant-regulating microbial endophytes that could facilitate and sustain a Rafflesia infection, and consequently, Rafflesia horticulture for ex situ conservation while gaining insights that could potentially benefit other agricultural crops.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

在东南亚的雨林中，与大多数植物不同的是“尸体花”。 ES。尽管如此，它是一个魅力的偶像，但没有西方的植物园，因为它几乎是未知的，它旨在了解Rafflesia的宿主选择。与非宿主相比，四宿主中的微生物使它们容易受到抽奖感染的影响，以及如何使用此基本信息来指导传播。还可以在葡萄中应用Rafflesia的物种，以及如何将其应用于寄生虫感染。在植物世界中 - totanic花园，促进教育和保护。新兴的flogma Ecies支持Rafflesia感染。 SPP。 raffless，属于其宿主的不同顺序，成功地逃避了宿主的免疫力，与其他宿主 - 帕拉吉特系统F杂质在寄生植物的不同植物中相比，这种基本信息如何预防农作物的不兼容？这些数据将阐明构成化学型和植物调节的微生物内生菌，可促进和维持差旅式感染，并持续搭配助理的园艺，以置于Exitu Contientu的消费中，从而使其他农作物受益于其他农作物。该奖项反映了NSF'STUTUTS，它值得通过Toundatual ulit foritual ulit .at ulit sultitual unitual unitual unitual unitual sulit。 ER影响审查标准。