Effects of Verticillium nonalfalfae biocontrol on Ailanthus altissima endophyte communities
This study investigated the effects of biocontrol treatmenton endophyte microbial communities in Ailanthus altissima(tree of heaven), an invasive plant species. We examined howinoculation with Verticillium nonalfalfae strain VnAa140, afungal biocontrol agent, influences bacterial and fungalendophyte community structure in plant tissues.Using a paired before-after experimental design, we collectedphloem, cambium, and xylem tissue samples from individualtrees before biocontrol treatment (April 2025) and 30 dayspost-treatment. Six trees were sampled across two treatmentgroups: control (n=3 trees) and VnAa140 biocontrol treatment(n=3 trees), with pre- and post-treatment samples collectedfrom the same individual trees to control for tree-to-treevariation.Endophyte communities were characterized using dual-targetamplicon sequencing on the Illumina NovaSeq X Plus platform.Bacterial communities were assessed by targeting the 16S rRNAV5-V7 region (primers 799F/1193R), while fungal communitieswere assessed using the internal transcribed spacer (ITS)region (primers ITS1F/ITS2). This approach enabledcharacterization of both bacterial and fungalendophyte responses to biocontrol treatment.The study provides insights into how biocontrol agents mayinfluence non-target microbial communities associated withinvasive plants, with implications for understandingecological interactions in biocontrol applications.