The Bacterial Signature of Leptospermum scoparium (Mānuka) Reveals Core and Accessory Communities with Bioactive Properties.
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 27676607.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0163717 and PMC identifier 5038978.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Leptospermum scoparium or mānuka is a New Zealand native medicinal plant that produces an essential oil with antimicrobial properties. This is the first study to investigate the structure and bioactivity of endophytic bacteria in mānuka by using a combination of cultivation-independent (DGGE) and dependent approaches. A total of 23 plants were sampled across three sites. Plants were considered either immature (3-8 years) or mature (>20 years). The endophyte community structure and richness was affected by plant tissue and bacterial communities became more stable and uniform as plant maturity increased. A total of 192 culturable bacteria were recovered from leaves, stems and roots. Some bacterial isolates showed in vitro biocontrol activity against two fungal pathogens, Ilyonectria liriodendri and Neofusicoccum luteum and a bacterial pathogen, Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae. A high proportion of bacterial endophytes could produce siderophores and solubilise phosphate in vitro. Gammaproteobacteria was the most variable class, representing the majority of cultivated bacteria with bioactivity.