Diversity of foliar endophytes in a dioecious wild grass and their interaction with the systemic Epichloë

MC CARGO P,; IANNONE L.J.; SORIA, M.; NOVAS M.V.

FUNGAL ECOLOGY

ELSEVIER SCI LTD

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2020

1754-5048

This study compares the culturable fungal endophytic community inhabiting leaves of Epichloë-infected (E+) and Epichloë-free (E-) plants of Poa bonariensis. Plants were collected from a wild population (dioecious species) where E+ and E- plants co-exist. Fungal endophytes were pure culture isolated and then, morphology and ribosomal DNA Internal Transcribed Spacer sequences were used for isolate identification. In total 24 different taxa of non-Epichloë (NE) endophytes were identified. No significant differences were found in richness and diversity indexes of NE-endophytes between E+ and E- plants, neither between pistillate (P) and staminate (S) plants. When we analyzed these effects based on the count of the most abundant genera, Alternaria and Stemphylium infection frequencies decreased in S plants, while in E+ plants this tendency was observed for Alternaria. Our results suggest that Epichloë and the sex of the host plant may modulate some of the dominant foliar endophytic fungal taxa.No significant differences were found in richness and diversity indexes of NE-endophytes between E+ and E- plants neither between pistillate (P) and staminate (S) plants, but the results were different when we analyzed these effects on the count of the most abundant genera. Alternaria and Stemphylium infection frequencies decreased in S plants, while in E+ plants this tendency was observed for Alternaria. Our results suggest that Epichloë and the sex of the host plant may modulate some of the dominant foliar endophytic fungal taxa.