Metagenomic analysis of bacterial endophytic communities associated with grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.)

In recent years, interest in endophytic microorganisms has increased, as they play a key role in agricultural environments and are promising because of their potential use in sustainable agriculture. These microorganisms include both commensal species, which have no direct effect on the host plant, and mutualistic symbionts, which could be used in the biological control of pathogens or plant growth promotion. In the present study we investigated how microbial communities in plants from organically managed farms differ from those obtained from integrated pest management (IPM) farms. Microbial DNA isolated from grapevines (Vitis vinifera L.) cv Merlot and Chardonnay cultivated in a subalpine area in Northern Italy was PCR amplified to fingerprint endophytic communities, and to assess the distribution of important functional genes in the grapevine microbiome in the studied areas. Here we report the composition of endophytic microbial communities assessed through a cultivation independent approach: Automated Ribosomal Intergenic Spacer Analysis (ARISA). The changes in community structure and composition are interpreted in the light of the environmental variables considered. Fingerprinting results were validated by multivariate analysis. Other metagenomics approaches are being considered.