University Presentation Showcase: Undergraduate Division
Could fungal associates of flowering plant species have roles in local ecological success and general species diversity?
Presenter Hometown
Lexington-Fayette, KY
Major
Forensic Science
Department
Chemistry
Degree
Undergraduate
Mentor
Patrick Calie
Mentor Department
Biological Sciences
Recommended Citation
McPherson, Bryce, "Could fungal associates of flowering plant species have roles in local ecological success and general species diversity?" (2025). University Presentation Showcase Event. 46.
https://encompass.eku.edu/swps/2025/undergraduate/46
Abstract
Why do some flowering plant lineages (e.g. legumes) contain numerous species and other lineages (e.g. are by comparison species depauperate? And do fungal associates of flowering plant species promote local plant diversity? To address the first question our team has been engaged in a collaborative effort with colleagues at the University of Kentucky in screening a set of seeds from >1900 flowering plant species (obtained from the Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Science) and from Dr. Jerry and Carol Baskin of the University of Kentucky, representing > 200 families) for the presence of fungal associates. A sample of seeds for each species were mechanically disrupted and arrayed into separate receptacles in a 96-well plate. Genomic DNA was isolated from the arrayed seeds and fungal-specific PCR primers for the Internal Transcribed Spacer region to detect the presence of fungal associates. Gel electrophoresis was used to determine the presence of fungal mycelia on the seeds. Approximately 30% of the sampled seeds yielded positive PCR results. Preliminary assignment of the fungal nucleotide sequences to specific genera was done through BLAST searches using the sequenced PCR products as queries in the NCBI database. Six of the novel sequences could represent previously undescribed species and one fungal isolate could represent a new fungal genus. Representatives of the plant family Ericaceae (genus Rhododendron) possessed two unique genera of fungi that were absent from the other sampled families.
Presentation format
Poster
Could fungal associates of flowering plant species have roles in local ecological success and general species diversity?
Why do some flowering plant lineages (e.g. legumes) contain numerous species and other lineages (e.g. are by comparison species depauperate? And do fungal associates of flowering plant species promote local plant diversity? To address the first question our team has been engaged in a collaborative effort with colleagues at the University of Kentucky in screening a set of seeds from >1900 flowering plant species (obtained from the Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Science) and from Dr. Jerry and Carol Baskin of the University of Kentucky, representing > 200 families) for the presence of fungal associates. A sample of seeds for each species were mechanically disrupted and arrayed into separate receptacles in a 96-well plate. Genomic DNA was isolated from the arrayed seeds and fungal-specific PCR primers for the Internal Transcribed Spacer region to detect the presence of fungal associates. Gel electrophoresis was used to determine the presence of fungal mycelia on the seeds. Approximately 30% of the sampled seeds yielded positive PCR results. Preliminary assignment of the fungal nucleotide sequences to specific genera was done through BLAST searches using the sequenced PCR products as queries in the NCBI database. Six of the novel sequences could represent previously undescribed species and one fungal isolate could represent a new fungal genus. Representatives of the plant family Ericaceae (genus Rhododendron) possessed two unique genera of fungi that were absent from the other sampled families.
