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POSTERS: Bacteriology I

P-017 - Novel endohyphal Paenibacillus sp. within the watermelon pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. niveum

Monday, August 4, 2025
3:45 PM - 4:30 PM HST
Location: Exhibit Hall 3

    Presenting Author(s)

  • MC

    Morgan E. Carter, PhD (she/her/hers)

    Assistant Professor
    University of North Carolina at Charlotte
    Charlotte, North Carolina, United States

    • Author(s)

  • PD

    Paola Diaz-Matamoros

    University of North Carolina at Charlotte
    Charlotte, North Carolina, United States

  • DM

    Dallas Moses

    University of North Carolina at Charlotte
    Charlotte, North Carolina, United States

Abstract Text: Control of fungal pathogens is an evergreen goal in agriculture, especially soil-borne fungi that are difficult to manage once present in a field. Fungi are increasingly understood to be capable of harboring bacterial endosymbionts within their hyphae. These endohyphal bacteria (EHB) could hold the keys to unlocking new methods for fungal control, as targets themselves or as guides to unknown aspects of fungal biology. Outcomes from the few functionally characterized EHB include changes in stress tolerance, metabolism, and reproduction in the fungal host. However, most studies are limited to sequencing evidence of EHB within fungal accessions and have not investigated the mechanisms facilitating these symbioses or the presence of them in major plant pathogenic species. Using PCR and fluorescence in situ hybridization, we screened field isolates of Fusarium spp., ultimately identifying novel EHB within the watermelon pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. niveum. A novel Paenibacillus sp. was extracted into pure culture from within fungal hyphae and we have sequenced the genome to compare to environmental and plant-associated members of the genus. We are conducting plant pathogenicity assays with both the fungus and bacterium to better understand whether Paenibacillus sp. presence alters fungal virulence of watermelon plants. We expect our research into the impact of endobacteria on fungal fitness and pathogenicity, as well as the specificity and conditions for symbiosis establishment, will lead towards manipulating bacterial-fungal symbioses for desired plant-health outcomes.