ABSTRACT
134Plants are affected by various biotic and abiotic factors. Within the biotic factors, plants are strongly influenced by their neighbors such as the associated microbes and the neighboring plants. This process is well-known to control/manipulate plant growth, development, and productivity. So, in the present study we made an effort to explore the role of associated microbes in kin recognition and growth within and among two selected varieties of Oryza sativa by in vitro and in field experiments. The initial study involved morphological observation of germinating seedlings of the two selected cultivars in petriplates (grown till 7 days) and also in pots (grown till 14 days) where parameters such as rate of germination, length of coleoptile, and radicle were recorded by applying a treatment of self/non self. The root associated microbes were also isolated in each treatment and further characterized by Gram staining, zone of inhibition studies, etc. The study of antimicrobial activity and metabolites produced by these organisms is in progress. Further, by proteomics it is possible to understand the effect of microbiome in each of the treatment. Therefore, proteome analysis of the two cultivars was carried out by 1D and 2D gel electrophoresis followed by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (MALDI MS/MS) analysis. Some of the protein spots showed a reproducible significant change between the control and experimental samples on 2D gels. These proteins identified belong to various functional categories such as carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism, cell stress, proteins of the electron transport, enzyme regulators, transcription, etc. The results provide some insights which aid to a better understanding of the role of associated microbes on the growth of plants to improve agricultural production. Also metabolomic studies of the root extracts are in progress to understand the role of microbiome in kin recognition in plants.
