Open AccessMutualistic fungal endophytes in the Triticeae – survey and description
Author(s) -
Card Stuart D.,
Faville Marty J.,
Simpson Wayne R.,
Johnson Richard D.,
Voisey Christine R.,
Bonth Anouck C. M.,
Hume David E.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
fems microbiology ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.377
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 1574-6941
pISSN - 0168-6496
DOI - 10.1111/1574-6941.12273
Subject(s) - triticeae , elymus , biology , botany , hordeum , genetic diversity , germplasm , tribe , host (biology) , hordeum vulgare , poaceae , clade , phylogenetics , ecology , genetics , gene , genome , population , demography , sociology , anthropology
Grasses of the tribe T riticeae were screened to determine the presence of mutualistic epichloae fungal endophytes. Over 1500 accessions, from more than 250 species, encompassing 22 genera within the Triticeae were screened using immunodetection and direct staining/microscopy techniques. Only two genera, E lymus and H ordeum , were identified as harbouring epichloae endophytes with accessions native to a range of countries including C anada, C hina, I ran, K azakhstan, K yrgyzstan, M ongolia, R ussia and the USA . Genetic analysis based on simple sequence repeat data revealed that the majority of endophytes cluster according to geographical regions rather than to host species; many strains isolated from H ordeum grouped with those derived from E lymus , and amongst the E lymus ‐derived strains, there was no clear correspondence between clustering topology and host species. This is the first detailed survey demonstrating the genetic diversity of epichloae endophytes within the T riticeae and highlights the importance of germplasm centres for not only preserving the genetic diversity of plant species but also the beneficial microorganisms they may contain.