PRJNA416987
Endophytic bacteria diversity of Ageratina adenophora Sprengel and their interactions with the host plant
Endophytic bacteria have been virtually found in almost every plant, yet endophytic bacteria in invasive plants have remained largely unstudied. To aid understanding how endophytic bacteria promote host growth and development in a noxious weed, we investigated the bacterial community structure of endophytes in the roots, stems, and leaves of Ageratina adenophora (Spreng.) R. M. King &amp; H. Rob. (Synonym: Eupatorium adenophora Spreng.). The endophytic bacteria in untreated A. adenophora were dominated by the phyla Cyanobacteria, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes. After treatment, the overall bacterial diversity decreased. In order to investigate links between endophytic bacteria and host growth, we further isolated six strains of bacteria (Acinetobacter johnsonii, Chryseobacterium arthrosphaerae, Bacillus sp., Arthrobacter nitroguajacolicus, Bacterium sp., and Bacillus cereus) from A. adenophora, three of which can produce indoel-3-acetic acid, which has been demonstrated to promote the growth of A. adenophora. These strains also showed strong nematicidal activities, hinting towards a potential role in host defense.