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Abstract Detail



Symbioses: Plant, Animal, and Microbe Interactions

Brogowski, Sarah [1], Hanes, Margaret [2].

Temporal characterization of microbial diversity in the Purple Pitcher Plant Sarracenia purpurea (Sarraceniacae).

Carnivorous plants in the genus Sarracenia thrive in poor soils because they have the capability to trap and digest insects. Microbes present in the fluid of the plant’s leaves aid the plant in digestion and retention of nutrients obtained from prey items. Little is known about these microbial communities and culture-dependent studies have recovered very few taxa. Culture-independent developments in molecular biology have allowed for more detailed characterizations of microbial communities. This study explores the microbial diversity and abundance in S. purpurea pitchers over time. We also investigate the relationship between pitcher size and bacterial community structure. Since the leaves of S. purpurea can live for years, we predict that older and larger pitchers will house higher bacterial diversity. The contents of ten leaves per month were harvested from March 2012 to March 2013. The pitchers were measured, and placed within a discreet size category (small, medium, large) based on the volume of fluid the pitcher could potentially hold. Microbial DNA was extracted and amplified via ARISA PCR. Peaks were identified in ADAPT and blasted to NCBI and SEED databases. Microbial composition and temporal patterns are compared with a related species, S. alata, to investigate microbial taxonomic conservation at the generic scale.

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1 - Eastern Michigan University, Biology, 441 Mark Jefferson Science Complex, Ypsilanti, MI, 48197, USA
2 - Eastern Michigan University, Biology, 441 Mark Jefferson Science Complex, Ypsilanti, MI, 48197, United States

Keywords:
Sarracenia
plant-microbial interactions
Microbial diversity
microbiome.

Presentation Type: Poster:Posters for Topics
Session: P
Location: Grand Salon A - D/Riverside Hilton
Date: Monday, July 29th, 2013
Time: 5:30 PM
Number: PSB004
Abstract ID:569
Candidate for Awards:None


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