Honors College Theses

Publication Date

2024

Major

Biology (B.S.B.)

Document Type and Release Option

Thesis (open access)

Faculty Mentor

Dr. Sara Gremillion

Abstract

In recent years, the fungus Fusarium keratoplastic has been associated with failed sea turtle eggs. One fungal isolate collected from a failed egg collected on Wassaw Island, GA in 2020 contained endohyphal bacteria, bacteria living within the hyphae of the fungus. The type of endohyphal bacteria (EHB), as well as the relationship between the bacteria and fungal hosts, are currently unknown. Previous research on the same fungus and EHB, specifically Chitinophaga sp., discovered that EHB influenced the ability of the fungus to utilize carbon sources. Our research goal was to examine the metabolic relationship of Fusarium isolated from failed sea turtle eggs and its EHB to provide insight into how the fungus may interact with the turtle host. This study created two isolates of Fusarium keratoplasticum, one with the EHB and one with reduced amounts of the EHB. Fungal growth and metabolic activity of each isolate grown on 95 different carbon sources were measured at 24, 48, and 96 hours using a Biotek plate reader, and statistics were performed to note any differences. Overall, no significant differences in mitochondrial activity and hyphal density were found between the isolates. However, when examining specific carbon sources, there were statistical differences between a small number of specific carbon sources that may suggest metabolic pathways of the fungus may be influenced by the amount and type of EHB present.

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