Cost of pollination: Microbes on the flowers and their effects on plant reproduction

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K22455
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 45:Biology at organismal to population levels and anthropology, and related fields
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Sakai Shoko 京都大学, 生態学研究センター, 教授 (30361306)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-06-28 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 送粉 / 真菌 / 細菌 / 植物繁殖生態学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In pollination ecology, flowers have been studied mainly concerning pollinators, which deliver pollen from flower to flower, while interactions with other organisms have not received much attention. Recently, however, it has become clear that pollinators bring not only pollen but also many microorganisms to the flower. The effects of these microorganisms on plant reproduction are largely unknown. This study investigated the possibility that these microorganisms might affect reproduction by identifying floral microbiomes and conducting field experiments. We found that pathogenic bacteria and/or their close relatives are present in the flowers. When they colonize flowers, they can have negative effects on fruit production and result in systemic infection. The results suggest that microorganisms have influenced the evolution of floral traits and plant reproductive systems.

Free Research Field

生態学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

植物上には、地下部ばかりでなく地上部にも、さまざまな微生物が存在し、植物の生存、成長や繁殖にさまざまな影響を与えうることがわかってきた。本研究では、野生植物において、花の上の微生物が繁殖に影響を与えうること、それらの微生物の一部は送粉者によって花にもたらされることを示した。この結果は、植物と相利共生の関係にある送粉者が植物に負の影響をもたらしうることを示し、送粉生態学に大きな影響を与える。