Abstract Detail

Mycology

Munroe, Emily [1], Noel, Zachary [1].

Diversity of phyllosphere yeasts from southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) in Auburn Alabama.

Fungi that exist as yeasts commonly reside in the phyllosphere and can be beneficial or biotechnologically useful. We isolated 60 yeast isolates from Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) leaves from the Auburn Arboretum. Isolates were obtained by leaf washes and plating onto selective media for fungi. Additionally, isolation of yeast with ballistospores was targeted by fixing leaf punches to Petri dishes' surface and allowing fungi to fire spores onto the selective agar medium's surface. We found many fungi with vibrant pigmentation. Additionally, many yeast taxa had a glutinous appearance indicating the presence of excessive exopolysaccharide production. Other yeasts were dimorphic, first appearing as white colonies and growing into a melanized mycelium as the culture aged. So far, from sequencing the internal transcribed spacer region, we have isolated yeast from two phyla, seven fungal classes, and eight orders representing at least two novel fungal taxa. Yeast will be evaluated for common plant growth promotion traits such as phosphatase activity, indole-3-acetic-acid (IAA) production, and ACC deaminase production. Then we will test if the combinations of yeast and bacteria from leaves produce more biofilm than singly. This data will narrow down a combination of yeast and bacteria that may be used as an inoculant for plant growth promotion or pathogen restriction and better understand the role of bacterial-fungal interactions in the phyllosphere.

1 - Auburn University, Entomology and Plant Pathology, 209 Rouse Life Sciences Building, Entomology and Plant Pathology, Auburn, AL, 36849, United States

Keywords:
Yeast
phyllosphere yeast
diversity
Mycology.

Presentation Type: Poster
Session: MYP2, Mycology Posters II
Location: Virtual/Virtual
Date: Tuesday, July 20th, 2021
Time: 5:00 PM(EDT)
Number: MYP2013
Abstract ID:859
Candidate for Awards:None