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Opportunistic Pathogenic Bacteria Colonize Thorns Of Native Rio Grande Valley Plants, Felicia A. Charles, Sergio Cepeda, J. Andrew Mcdonald, Kristine L. Lowe

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Thorns serve as mechanical defenses of plants against herbivory. However, plant thorns harbor microorganisms that are potentially pathogenic. These pathogens may be transferred to herbivores and other animals and provide an additional defense for the plants. Thorns from 5 plant species native to the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas were collected and used to isolate bacteria colonizing the thorn surface. Thorns, leaves and stems of plants were visualized using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to observe any bacteria on the plant surface. Isolated bacteria were tested for their ability to grow in aerobic versus anaerobic environments, to produce hemolysis, carbon …