title: Multitrophic interactions among Western Corn Rootworm, Glomus intraradices and microbial communities in the rhizosphere and endorhiza of maize.
abstract: The complex interactions among the maize pest Western Corn Rootworm (WCR), Glomus intraradices (GI-recently renamed Rhizophagus intraradices) and the microbial communities in both rhizosphere and endorhiza of maize have been investigated in view of new pest control strategies. In a greenhouse experiment, different maize treatments were established: C (control plants), W (plants inoculated with WCR), G (plants inoculated with GI), GW (plants inoculated with GI and WCR). After 20 days of WCR root feeding, larval fitness was measured. Dominant arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in soil and maize endorhiza were analyzed by cloning of 18S rRNA gene fragments of AMF, restriction fragment length polymorphism and sequencing. Bacterial and fungal communities in the rhizosphere and endorhiza were investigated by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of 16S rRNA gene and ITS fragments, PCR amplified from total community DNA, respectively. GI reduced significantly WCR larval development and affected the naturally occurring endorhiza AMF and bacteria. WCR root feeding influenced the endorhiza bacteria as well. GI can be used in integrated pest management programs, rendering WCR larvae more susceptible to predation by natural enemies. The mechanisms behind the interaction between GI and WCR remain unknown. However, our data suggested that GI might act indirectly via plant-mediated mechanisms influencing the endorhiza microbial communities.
authors.affiliation: Julius Kühn-Institut - Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Epidemiology and Pathogen Diagnostics Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: Flavia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dematheis
authors.affiliation: Department of Crop Science, Agricultural Entomology, Georg-August University Göttingen Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Benedikt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kurtz
authors.affiliation: Department of Crop Science, Agricultural Entomology, Georg-August University Göttingen Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vidal
authors.affiliation: Julius Kühn-Institut - Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Epidemiology and Pathogen Diagnostics Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: Kornelia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Smalla
keywords: 16S rRNA gene; 18S rRNA gene restriction fragment length polymorphism; Glomus intraradices; ITS; Western Corn Rootworm; denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis; endorhiza; rhizosphere