The USGS is developing innovative Phragmites control measures to keep this rapidly spreading invasive plant from further expanding its range into new wetland habitats and to aid in the development of successful restoration strategies. Scientists are conducting studies and field tests to determine if fungi that live within the Phragmites are enabling the plant to take over habitat used by native plants. Gene silencing is another technology scientists have been testing that will help control the spread of invasive plants by 'switching off' a gene that, for example, contributes to the plants ability to spread.
All plants host a diverse suite of microbes, such as fungi and bacteria, throughout all stages of their life cycle. Some of these microbes live inside plants (i.e., endophytes) and form relationships that are beneficial to both the microbes and the host plants. Microbes also are thought to confer many benefits to plants, thereby increasing their growth, stress tolerance, and competitive ability. The non-native Phragmites australis (common reed) continues to invade fish and wildlife habitats across the Great Lakes Region, but it isn’t clear what role microbes play in its ability to outcompete native plants. We also don’t know if microbes can be part of a new sustainable management approach for Phragmites. Therefore, researchers at the USGS Great Lakes Science Center (GLSC), Indiana University, and Rutgers University are examining the role of endophytes in both the success of invasive Phragmites and as a potential mechanism for restoring native plant assemblages. Scientists are seeking to better understand the microbes associated with invasive Phragmites and the benefits they confer to their host. The ultimate goal of this research is to identify new control methods based on microbial symbiosis that give land managers another tool in their toolbox for managing this invasive species. To maximize the collective impact of research efforts, the GLSC is using a collaborative approach to coordinate research efforts that explore the relationships between microbes and Phragmites, as well as to develop a comprehensive microbe-based Phragmites control approach.
Additionally, scientists at the GLSC, Wayne State University, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are developing an approach for controlling Phragmites that limits the expression of certain traits (i.e., gene silencing) that help Phragmites be so competitive. The gene silencing approach uses a natural defense mechanism within plant cells known as RNA interference (RNAi), whereby a cell breaks down RNA that appears to be viral. Researchers have discovered that if they insert “suspicious looking” RNA into a cell, the cell’s natural defenses are triggered and all RNA with the same code as the suspicious strand will be broken down, disrupting protein formation and preventing trait expression. Researchers are working to adapt this technology as a form of control for invasive Phragmites. Their work is focused on identifying and silencing genes important to the plant’s competitive advantage, such as those for flowering, meristem growth, seed set, and photosynthesis. The gene silencing approach to controlling Phragmites could have advantages beyond traditional strategies, because the technology targets genetic messages specific to the target plant. This means that it would only work on the species being targeted. For land managers, this means that treating rapidly expanding or dense Phragmites stands could take place with minimal detrimental effects on non-target plants or animals.
Non-USGS Publications
Bickford, W.A., D.E. Goldberg, K.P. Kowalski, and D.R. Zak. 2018. Root microbes and invasiveness: No difference between native and non-native Phragmites in the Great Lakes. Ecosphere (12):e02526. 10.1002/ecs2.2526
White, J. F., K. L. Kingsley, Q. Zhang, R. Verma, N. Obi, S. Dvinskikh, M. T. Elmore, S. K. Verma, S. K. Gond, and K. P. Kowalski. 2019. Review: Endopytic microbes and their potential applications in crop management. Pest Management Science doi.org/10.1002/ps.5527
Seed-vectored microbes: Their roles in improving seedling fitness and competitor plant suppression
Manipulating wild and tamed phytobiomes: Challenges and opportunities
Evidence for widespread microbivory of endophytic bacteria in roots of vascularplants through oxidative degradation in root cell periplasmic spaces
Rhizophagy cycle: An oxidative process in plants for nutrient extraction from symbiotic microbes
Fungal disease prevention in seedlings of rice (Oryza sativa) and other grasses by growth-promoting seed-associated endophytic bacteria from invasive Phragmites australis
Fungal endophytes from seeds of invasive, non-native Phragmites australis and their potential role in germination and seedling growth
- Overview
The USGS is developing innovative Phragmites control measures to keep this rapidly spreading invasive plant from further expanding its range into new wetland habitats and to aid in the development of successful restoration strategies. Scientists are conducting studies and field tests to determine if fungi that live within the Phragmites are enabling the plant to take over habitat used by native plants. Gene silencing is another technology scientists have been testing that will help control the spread of invasive plants by 'switching off' a gene that, for example, contributes to the plants ability to spread.
Beneficial endophytes (microbes living in plants) have been shown to enhance Phragmites performance compared to those grown without (Ernst et al. 2003). (Public domain.) All plants host a diverse suite of microbes, such as fungi and bacteria, throughout all stages of their life cycle. Some of these microbes live inside plants (i.e., endophytes) and form relationships that are beneficial to both the microbes and the host plants. Microbes also are thought to confer many benefits to plants, thereby increasing their growth, stress tolerance, and competitive ability. The non-native Phragmites australis (common reed) continues to invade fish and wildlife habitats across the Great Lakes Region, but it isn’t clear what role microbes play in its ability to outcompete native plants. We also don’t know if microbes can be part of a new sustainable management approach for Phragmites. Therefore, researchers at the USGS Great Lakes Science Center (GLSC), Indiana University, and Rutgers University are examining the role of endophytes in both the success of invasive Phragmites and as a potential mechanism for restoring native plant assemblages. Scientists are seeking to better understand the microbes associated with invasive Phragmites and the benefits they confer to their host. The ultimate goal of this research is to identify new control methods based on microbial symbiosis that give land managers another tool in their toolbox for managing this invasive species. To maximize the collective impact of research efforts, the GLSC is using a collaborative approach to coordinate research efforts that explore the relationships between microbes and Phragmites, as well as to develop a comprehensive microbe-based Phragmites control approach.
Microbes can perform as both mutualists (mutually beneficial) andpathogens (disease causing). The role they play can have an important impact on a plant’s performancein the field. (Public domain.) Additionally, scientists at the GLSC, Wayne State University, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are developing an approach for controlling Phragmites that limits the expression of certain traits (i.e., gene silencing) that help Phragmites be so competitive. The gene silencing approach uses a natural defense mechanism within plant cells known as RNA interference (RNAi), whereby a cell breaks down RNA that appears to be viral. Researchers have discovered that if they insert “suspicious looking” RNA into a cell, the cell’s natural defenses are triggered and all RNA with the same code as the suspicious strand will be broken down, disrupting protein formation and preventing trait expression. Researchers are working to adapt this technology as a form of control for invasive Phragmites. Their work is focused on identifying and silencing genes important to the plant’s competitive advantage, such as those for flowering, meristem growth, seed set, and photosynthesis. The gene silencing approach to controlling Phragmites could have advantages beyond traditional strategies, because the technology targets genetic messages specific to the target plant. This means that it would only work on the species being targeted. For land managers, this means that treating rapidly expanding or dense Phragmites stands could take place with minimal detrimental effects on non-target plants or animals.
Non-USGS Publications
Bickford, W.A., D.E. Goldberg, K.P. Kowalski, and D.R. Zak. 2018. Root microbes and invasiveness: No difference between native and non-native Phragmites in the Great Lakes. Ecosphere (12):e02526. 10.1002/ecs2.2526
White, J. F., K. L. Kingsley, Q. Zhang, R. Verma, N. Obi, S. Dvinskikh, M. T. Elmore, S. K. Verma, S. K. Gond, and K. P. Kowalski. 2019. Review: Endopytic microbes and their potential applications in crop management. Pest Management Science doi.org/10.1002/ps.5527
Gene silencing could be used to disrupt various biological pathways that allow plants to thrive. Here, Phragmites plants in the foreground have been treated with (left) and without (right) a gene silencing spray. Notice the yellowed leaves on the gene silencing plants, resulting in a limited capacity for photosynthesis (Source: Ed Golenberg). (Public domain.) - Publications
Seed-vectored microbes: Their roles in improving seedling fitness and competitor plant suppression
This chapter discusses the role of seed-vectored microbes in modulating seedling development and increasing fitness of plants in terms of increased biotic and abiotic stress tolerance.Manipulating wild and tamed phytobiomes: Challenges and opportunities
This white paper presents a series of perspectives on current and future phytobiome management, discussed at the Wild and Tamed Phytobiomes Symposium in University Park, PA, USA, in June 2018. To enhance plant productivity and health, and to translate lab- and greenhouse-based phytobiome research to field applications, the academic community and end-users need to address a variety of scientific, pEvidence for widespread microbivory of endophytic bacteria in roots of vascularplants through oxidative degradation in root cell periplasmic spaces
In this chapter we present a hypothesis, and data supporting it, that vascular plants in diverse families possess symbiotic/endophytic bacteria that frequently vector on or within their seeds; seedlings degrade symbiotic bacteria within roots. Evidence of widespread microbivory was found in a survey for intracellular bacteria that we conducted including seedlings in 36 species of vascular plants dRhizophagy cycle: An oxidative process in plants for nutrient extraction from symbiotic microbes
In this paper, we describe a mechanism for the transfer of nutrients from symbiotic microbes (bacteria and fungi) to host plant roots that we term the ‘rhizophagy cycle.’ In the rhizophagy cycle, microbes alternate between a root intracellular endophytic phase and a free-living soil phase. Microbes acquire soil nutrients in the free-living soil phase; nutrients are extracted through exposure to hoFungal disease prevention in seedlings of rice (Oryza sativa) and other grasses by growth-promoting seed-associated endophytic bacteria from invasive Phragmites australis
Non-cultivated plants carry microbial endophytes that may be used to enhance development and disease resistance of crop species where growth-promoting and protective microbes may have been lost. During seedling establishment, seedlings may be infected by several fungal pathogens that are seed or soil borne. Several species of Fusarium, Pythium and other water moulds cause seed rots during germinatFungal endophytes from seeds of invasive, non-native Phragmites australis and their potential role in germination and seedling growth
Background and aimsWe characterized fungal endophytes of seeds of invasive, non-native Phragmites from three sites in the Great Lakes region to determine if fungal symbiosis could contribute to invasiveness through their effects on seed germination and seedling growth.MethodsField-collected seeds were surface sterilized and plated on agar to culture endophytes for ITS sequencing. Prevalence of spe - Partners