Melia azedarach and Its Endosymbionts
Board Location: #142
Discipline: Biological Sciences
Subcategory: Plant Research
Session: 4
Daliyah Brown - Bowie State University
Co-Author(s): Vanessa Chery, Bowie State University, Bowie, Maryland; Loise Mumbai, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya; Truphosa Amakhobe, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya; Ming-Min Lee, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona; Sheila Okoth, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya; Jiangnan Peng, Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland; A. Elizabeth (Betsy) Arnold, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona; Anne Osano, Bowie State University, Bowie, Maryland
Melia azedarach, commonly known as Melea, is a plant native to Southeast Asia and Australia. In Kenya and other parts of the world, it’s valued for its antimicrobial properties and used as a remedy for various ailments. Various studies show that all plants form symbioses with microbes known as endophytes: symbionts that reside in plant tissues. Although endophytes can be neutral and under certain conditions, parasitic, they are mainly known for their beneficial symbiotic relationships with plants. Endophytes secrete compounds known as secondary metabolites that help plants build systemic resistance against abiotic stresses and improve defense mechanisms against pathogens, among many other benefits. Similarly to all plants, M. azedarach is host to endophytic communities. However, while the plant is historically known as a versatile remedy, its endophytic diversity and metabolomic properties remain unclassified. Knowledge of the plant’s microbiome and its metabolomic properties is necessary to guide scientists’ efforts to improve crop resistance to drought and other abiotic stresses, pest management, as well as biotechnological and pharmaceutical advancements. This study sought to increase knowledge of the metabolic potential and influences of endophytic fungi in M. azedarach, a culturally important plant in Kenya. To achieve this, M. azedarach leaves were sampled from locations of varied climate and environmental conditions. Fungal endophytes were isolated from the sampled leaves. Morphological characterization of the fungal colonies was performed and followed by molecular characterization which consisted of DNA extraction, PCR analysis, DNA sequencing and editing, and finally, being compared to other sequences in the NCBI BLAST database. Data was analyzed by comparing and contrasting data from sites of dissimilar climates: central Kenya (semi-arid climate) and coastal Kenya (semi-arid/tropical climates). The results reflect overlapping endophytic communities between the regions. It was found that both central and coastal Kenya M. azedarach leaves contained Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, a well-known beneficial endophyte that can become pathogenic in fruit crops. In contrast, Preussia minima was frequent in coastal Kenya but not observed in the country’s central region. Among the remaining fungi identified across the two areas, it’s worth noting that the genera Aspergillus and Penicillium were also observed. It was concluded that Colletotrichum gloeosporioides can survive across environmental gradients while Preussia minima prefers a tropical climate. Next, the endophytic samples’ bioactive secretions will be identified using High-Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC–MS/MS). Future research directions include a study on the microbiome and metabolomic properties of the plant’s bark and roots, two of the plant’s parts that are also used in remedies.
Funder Acknowledgement(s): This project was funded by an NSF grant awarded to Dr. Anne Osano.
Faculty Advisor: Anne Osano, aosano@bowiestate.edu
Role: I collected samples from various climates stretching across Kenya and various places in Tucson, Arizona. I isolated fungal endophytes from collected samples. I subcultured the isolated endophytes into slant tubes to prepare them for shipping to their next destination. I also used various molecular characterization methods, including DNA extraction, PCR analysis, DNA sequencing and editing, and comparing edited sequences in the NCBI BLAST database to identify the endophytes found in the collected samples.