Molecular identification of microbial communities in plants cultured under different in vitro culture system

Author(s)

Camila Heuser

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: Piracicaba.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura (CENA/STB)
• Defense date: 2013-09-30

Examining board members

Adriana Pinheiro Martinelli; João Lucio de Azevedo; Lee Tseng Sheng Gerald

• Advisor: Adriana Pinheiro Martinelli

Abstract

In recent years, several protocols and technologies have been proposed for feasibility and optimization of micropropagation of different cultures as well as to reduce production costs. Among these, the use of liquid culture medium and the temporary immersion bioreactor system (TIB) have gained special attention. However, differences are observed among species and methodologies, being necessary more detailed studies for a better knowledge of the factors that affect the micropropagatiion systems. Recent studies, based on molecular techniques, have revealed that in vitro cultures are not axenic, as thought, presenting ubiquitous endophytic community. Knowing the importance of these microorganisms to field plants we would like to know more about their role in in vitro plants. In this scenario, this work proposes to compare the performance of in vitro cultures under different culture conditions: semisolid medium culture, liquid static and liquid medium under agitation, and where differences in in vitro performance were observed comparative molecular analysis of microbial community in the plantlets was performed. Bromeliads and sugarcane cultures were used seeking for model systems for these analyses. These experiments were conducted with Ananas comosus var. comosus (\'Imperial\' and \'Pérola\') and Aechmea nudicaulis cultured under liquid static medium and liquid under agitation, and with Vriesea hieroglyphica, we compared liquid static medium, liquid medium under agitation and TIB. For sugarcane (Saccharum spp. variety SP80-3280), liquid static medium and TIB was compared. Molecular analyses of Dyckia distachya plantlets, which had been grown in semisolid medium liquid static and liquid medium under agitation, were also carried out. Cultures that showed differences in performance among the systems evaluated were D. distachya, (with liquid medium under agitation as the best condition) and sugarcane (best treatment was BIT) and these were considered adequate to study the differences in the bacterial comunity of plants when grown in different in vitro conditions. The characterization of the microbial community of D. distachya was performed by T-RFLP (Terminal Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism) and showed that the liquid medium under agitation, which had the highest number of shoots compare to the other culture conditions, also differed as to the relative abundance of Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs). For sugarcane 16S rRNA gene clone libraries, as well as real-time PCR (qPCR) were performed. These analyses showed no significant differences between the libraries of the two treatments, however, BIT showed 3.54 times more copies of the 16S rRNA gene compared to cultures from static liquid medium, allowing us to infer a higher number of bacteria. This study provides strong evidence that the in vitro system used influences the microbial community present in plants (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 11/05080-7 - Molecular identification and quantitative monitoring of microbial communities in vitro plant cultures cultured in temporary immersion bioreactors
• Grantee: Camila Heuser
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master