Endophytic Community Composition and Genetic-Enzymatic Features of Cultivable Bacteria in Vaccinium myrtillus L. in Forests of the Baltic-Nordic Region

Abstract

Regardless of their growth locations and species diversity, plants have endophytic bacterial communities. Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) is valuable for human health because of its antioxidant properties, and the plant has adapted to stressful growing conditions in forests. Here, we aimed to describe the composition of the community of endophytic microorganisms in bilberry leaves and to determine whether the diversity of endophytic bacteria varies depending on the geographical location of the plants. In this study, we evaluated the significance of endophytes in the host plant and the potential use of such bacteria. Twenty-five culturable bacterial isolates were identified in V. myrtillus leaves based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. For the first time, we report upon the diversity of endophytic communities coexisting in bilberry leaves in different geographical locations of the Nordic-Baltic region. Under harsh conditions, the bilberry plants had a greater diversity of bacteria. The bacterial families Bacillaceae, Paenibacillaceae and Micrococcaceae were the most common endophytes in leaves of bilberry. Strains of Staphylococcaceae, Lactobacillaceae, Pseudomonaceae, Corynebacteriaceae and Planococcaceae were identified in samples from Finland and Norway. Plant growth-promoting genes (acdS and AcPho) and/or enzymatic activity were identified in many isolates.