Endophytic and rhizophytic prokaryotic communities in S. alterniflora and petroleum degradation. Endophytic and rhizophytic prokaryotic communities in S. alterniflora and petroleum degradation

The experiment was designed to test the interactions of Spartina alterniflora, its microbiome, and the interaction of the plant-microbe relationship with oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (DWH). Total RNA was extracted from leaf and root microbiome of S. alterniflora in soils that were oiled in DWH oil spill with or without added oil, as well as those grown in unoiled soil with or without added oil. The work in its entirety characterizes the transport, fate and catabolic activities of bacterial communities in petroleum-polluted soils and within plant tissues. Overall design: Total RNA was extracted from leaf and root of Spartina alterniflora and converted immediately into cDNA, which was used for GeoChip 5.0S analysis. S. alterniflora was grown in one of the four conditions: DWH-impacted soil with added oil, DWH-impacted soil without added oil, previously unoiled soil with added oil, and previously unoiled soil without added oil (control). Triplicates of leaf and root samples were collected from each S. alterniflora, and thus a total of 24 samples were analyzed on GeoChip.