Influence of biotic stress on the sugarcane microbiome

• Grant number: 23/03850-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: April 01, 2023
• End date: June 30, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Marie-Anne Van Sluys
• Grantee: Guilherme Yudi Aiabe Sagawa
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 16/17545-8 - Genes, genomes & transposable elements contribution to plant-microbe interaction: a sugarcane study case, AP.BIOEN.TEM

Abstract

Microbial communities inhabit the internal and external tissues of plants, varyingtheir composition depending on the region they occupy. Furthermore, microorganisms canassume a positive impact on nutrition, resistance to stress, or become pathogenic. Although little understood,plants have control mechanisms regarding the diversity and quantity of the microbial community that inhabits their tissues. This multilateral interaction between microorganisms and plants confers a new layer ofcomplexity to studying plant interaction with external agents. The bacterium Xanthomonas albilineans is responsible for causing leaf scald disease in sugar cane. The main symptom of the disease is whitish streakingalong the leaves. It is known that different sugarcane varieties are more susceptible or tolerant to the disease,presenting symptoms with greater or lesser intensity. Studies have demonstrated the antagonistic role of the bacteria Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus to the disease caused by Xanthomonas albilineans, because once inoculated to the susceptible plant, the symptoms of the disease are attenuated. The role of this bacterium and its attenuating effects on disease symptoms in sugarcane has not yet been fully elucidated. Thus, using current molecular approaches to metagenomic study, the diversity of bacterial community will be evaluated in two sugarcane varieties under inoculation of Xanthomonas albilineans and/or Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus.