title: Different Growth Promoting Effects of Endophytic Bacteria on Invasive and Native Clonal Plants.
abstract: The role of the interactions between endophytes and alien plants has been unclear yet in plant invasion. We used a completely germ-free culture system to quantify the plant growth-promoting (PGP) effects of endophytic bacteria Bacillus sp. on aseptic seedlings of Wedelia trilobata and of its native clonal congener W. chinensis. The endophytic bacteria did not affect the growth of W. chinensis, but they significantly promoted the growth of W. trilobata. With the PGP effects of endophytic bacteria, relative change ratios of the clonal traits and the ramets' growth traits of W. trilobata were significantly greater than those of W. chinensis. Our results indicate that the growth-promoting effects of endophytes may differ between invasive and native clonal plants, and the endophytes of invasive plant may be host-specific to facilitate plant invasion.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environment and Ecology & Academy of Environmental Health and Ecological Security, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu UniversityZhenjiang, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Agricultural Equipment and Technology, Ministry of Education and Jiangsu Province, Jiangsu UniversityZhenjiang, China; Jingjiang College, Jiangsu UniversityZhenjiang, China.
authors.forename: Zhi-Cong
authors.initials: ZC
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environment and Ecology & Academy of Environmental Health and Ecological Security, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University Zhenjiang, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environment and Ecology & Academy of Environmental Health and Ecological Security, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University Zhenjiang, China.
authors.forename: Ling-Yun
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environment and Ecology & Academy of Environmental Health and Ecological Security, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University Zhenjiang, China.
authors.forename: Hong-Hong
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environment and Ecology & Academy of Environmental Health and Ecological Security, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University Zhenjiang, China.
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environment and Ecology & Academy of Environmental Health and Ecological Security, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University Zhenjiang, China.
authors.forename: Shan-Shan
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environment and Ecology & Academy of Environmental Health and Ecological Security, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu UniversityZhenjiang, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Agricultural Equipment and Technology, Ministry of Education and Jiangsu Province, Jiangsu UniversityZhenjiang, China.
authors.forename: Dao-Lin
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Du
keywords: bio-invasion; clonal plant; endophytic bacteria; plant–microbe interaction; repeatable aseptic culture system