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- Title
Fungal endophytes from seeds of invasive, non-native <italic>Phragmites australis</italic> and their potential role in germination and seedling growth.
- Authors
Shearin, Zackery R. C.; Filipek, Matthew; Desai, Rushvi; Bickford, Wesley A.; Kowalski, Kurt P.; Clay, Keith
- Abstract
Background and aims: We characterized fungal endophytes of seeds of invasive, non-native <italic>Phragmites</italic> from three sites in the Great Lakes region to determine if fungal symbiosis could contribute to invasiveness through their effects on seed germination and seedling growth.Methods: Field-collected seeds were surface sterilized and plated on agar to culture endophytes for ITS sequencing. Prevalence of specific endophytes from germinated and non-germinated seeds, and from seedlings, was compared.Results: One-third of 740 seeds yielded endophyte isolates. Fifteen taxa were identified with <italic>Alternaria</italic> sp. representing 54% of all isolates followed by <italic>Phoma</italic> sp. (21%) and <italic>Penicillium corylophilum</italic> (12%). Overall germination of seeds producing an isolate (36%) was significantly higher than seeds not producing an isolate (20%). <italic>Penicillium</italic> in particular was strongly associated with increased germination of seeds from one site. Sixty-three isolates and 11 taxa were also obtained from 30 seedlings where <italic>Phoma</italic>, <italic>Penicillium</italic> and <italic>Alternaria</italic> respectively were most prevalent. There was a significant effect of isolating an endophyte from the seed on seedling growth.Conclusions: These results suggest that many endophyte taxa are transmitted in seeds and can increase seed germination and seedling growth of invasive <italic>Phragmites</italic>. The role of fungal endophytes in host establishment, growth and invasiveness in nature requires further research.
- Subjects
PHRAGMITES australis; SEED microbiology; ENDOPHYTIC fungi; BIOLOGICAL invasions; GERMINATION
- Publication
Plant & Soil, 2018, Vol 422, Issue 1/2, p183
- ISSN
0032-079X
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/s11104-017-3241-x