Endophytic Phomopsis species: host range and implications for diversity estimates

• Published in: Canadian journal of microbiology Vol. 52; no. 7; pp. 673 - 680
• Main Authors: Murali, T S, Suryanarayanan, T S, Geeta, R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ottawa, Canada NRC Research Press 01.07.2006; National Research Council of Canada; Canadian Science Publishing NRC Research Press
• Subjects: Ascomycota - classification; Ascomycota - genetics; Ascomycota - isolation & purification; Ascomycota - physiology; Biodiversity; Biological and medical sciences; Biosphere; Deciduous forests; Deciduous trees; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; Ecosystem; Endophytes; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fungi; India; Industrial research; Lamiaceae - microbiology; Leaves; Microbiology; Miscellaneous; Molecular Sequence Data; Mycology; Phylogeny; Plant communities; Plant Leaves - microbiology; Sabbatical leave; Scholarships & fellowships; Science; Software; Studies; Teak; Trees - microbiology; Wildlife sanctuaries; India; Fungi; Verbenaceae; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Phomopsis; Host range; Endophyte; Hardwood forest tree; Spermatophyta; Fungi Imperfecti; Tectona grandis; Thallophyta
• ISSN: 0008-4166; 1480-3275
• DOI: 10.1139/w06-020

Foliar endophyte assemblages of teak trees growing in dry deciduous and moist deciduous forests of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve were compared. A species of Phomopsis dominated the endophyte assemblages of teak, irrespective of the location of the host trees. Internal transcribed spacer sequence analysis of 11 different Phomopsis isolates (ten from teak and one from Cassia fistula) showed that they fall into two groups, which are separated by a relatively long branch that is strongly supported. The results showed that this fungus is not host restricted and that it continues to survive as a saprotroph in teak leaf, possibly by exploiting senescent leaves as well as the litter. Although the endophyte assemblage of a teak tree growing about 500 km from the forests was also dominated by a Phomopsis sp., it separated into a different group based on internal transcribed spacer sequence analysis. Our results with an endophytic Phomopsis sp. reinforce the earlier conclusions reached by others for pathogenic Phomopsis sp., i.e., that this fungus is not host specific, and the species concept of Phomopsis needs to be redefined.Key words: fungal endophytes, Tectona grandis, fungal diversity, Phomopsis, host restriction.