Biodiversity of cactophilic microorganisms in western Argentina: community structure and species composition in the necroses of two sympatric cactus hosts

MONGIARDINO-KOCH N ; SOTO IM; GALVAGNO M; HASSON E; IANNONE L

FUNGAL ECOLOGY

ELSEVIER SCI LTD

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2015 vol. 13 p. 167 - 180

1754-5048

The cactus-yeast-Drosophilasystem is a model system in evolutionary biology, and theparticipating saprotrophic microorganisms represent one of the most thoroughly studiedmicrobial communities. However, much of the cactus-dominated regions of South America, home to endemic versions of this classical system, remain understudied. A combinedmorpho-physiological and molecular approach was employed to identify the fungalmembers of the cactus-yeast-Drosophilasystem in western Argentina. We identified twentyone species of saprotrophic organisms in the necroses ofOpuntia sulphureaandTrichocereusterscheckiiin a region of sympatry, where both cacti are exploited by cactophilicDrosophila.After excluding opportunistic isolates, we determined that the saprobe community ofO.sulphureawas composed of eight species (including the first consideration of filamentousfungi as community members), whereas the community of T. terscheckiirepresented asubgroup of the former. We explain this nested pattern by considering the physiologicaland ecological attributes of both hosts and vectors involved.