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POSTERS: Microbiome/Communities II

P-326 - Dissecting the Hyphosphere: Spatially Resolved Multi-Omics Reveal Intrinsic Role of Non-Pathogenic Bacteria in Fungal Pathogenesis

Tuesday, August 5, 2025
10:15 AM - 11:00 AM HST
Location: Exhibit Hall 3
Abstract Text: Soil-borne fungal pathogens directly interact with bacteria associated with their hyphae, known as hyphosphere bacteria. The role of these non-pathogenic bacteria in modulating fungal virulence is seldom understood. In this study, we characterize the bacterial diversity within the hyphosphere of a potent cotton pathogen, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum Race 4 (Fov4), and apply Multi-Omics approach to elucidate the mechanisms by which bacteria influence fungal virulence. Bacterial isolates were obtained from the infectious Fov4 inoculum. Genomic data from both the fungus and associated bacteria were integrated to construct baseline metabolic models. Co-transcriptomic data were overlaid onto these models to identify co-expressed pathways in Fov4–bacteria interactions. Predicted metabolic pathways were validated through substrate utilization profiling using Biolog phenotypic arrays, and metabolic outputs were assessed by LCMS. Spatially resolved MALDI-TOF imaging further characterized metabolic interactions in situ. Furthermore, to evaluate the consequences of these metabolic interactions on cotton plant health, we tested the effect of Fov4 and the hyphosphere bacteria individually and in combinations. Our findings revealed that hyphosphere bacteria influence plant health through several aspects: enhance fungal growth, increase fungal virulence, and, in the absence of the pathogen, enhance plant growth. This study bridges critical knowledge gaps in hyphosphere biology, offering novel insights into microbial contributions to fungal pathogenicity and plant disease ecology.