Mycovirus effect on the endophytic establishment of the entomopathogenic fungus Tolypocladium cylindrosporum in tomato and bean plants

8 páginas, 2 figuras. -- The original publication is available at www.springerlink.comTwo endophytic strains of the entomopathogenic fungus Tolypocladium cylindrosporum, originally isolated from the grass Festuca rubra, were artificially inoculated in tomato and bean plants.\udStrains 11-1L and 11-0BR were isolated from asymptomatic leaf fragments of both plant species at 3, 7, 14, 21, and 35 days after their inoculation. The percentage of leaf fragments infected by the fungus in inoculated leaves decreased at each sampling time, and no systemic colonization of the plants occurred. The two T. cylindrosporum strains tested were isogenic, differing in the infection by the victorivirus TcV1,\udharboured by strain 11-1L, but not by 11-0BR. The percentage of infected leaf fragments in leaves inoculated with the virus infected strain was greater in bean than in tomato plants, while the virus-free\udstrain was more successful in tomato than in bean plants. This result suggests that the mycovirus infection can affect the adaptation of T. cylindrosporum to\udparticular host plants.This work was financed with research\udgrant AGL2008-01159, awarded by the Spanish GovernmentPeer reviewe