Composition and Diversity of the Culturable Endophytic Community of Six Stress-Tolerant Dessert Plants Grown in Stressful Soil in a Hot Dry Desert Region

Abstract

Saudi Arabia is part of a hot dry desert region and is characterized by stressful conditions. The main goal of this research was to identify endophytic fungal (EF) community composition, diversity and abundance in relation to their plant hosts and soil stress. The above-ground parts of six wild plants (Haloxylon salicornicum, Salsola kali, Heliotropium bacciferum, Erica verticillata, Salsola imbricata and Bienertia sinuspersici) were sampled, surface-sterilized and cut into small pieces, which were cultured and incubated for 4–6 weeks. Isolates were grouped and identified by using both morphological and ITS rDNA molecular data. The diversity and community structure of plant-endophyte associations were studied. A total of 455 EF isolates were grouped into 25 different taxa; 21 of which were identified at the species level, 2 at genus level and 2 were unclassified fungi. Here, 95.65% of the identified genera were Ascomycota; of which 36.36, 31.81 and 31.81% were members of the classes Dothideomycetes, Eurotiomycetes and Sordariomycetes, respectively. S. imbricata showed the highest isolation rate and colonization frequency (CF%) of EF when compared to other plant species. Additionally, S. imbricata demonstrated the highest species richness and species diversity of the EF community predominated by the genus Fusarium. Conclusively, the core culturable EF genera of six wild plants were identified (unculturable taxa were not identified in this study). The composition of the EF community was revealed to have a strong correlation to both the electrical conductivity and pH of the soil and a moderate correlation to both the host species and the host family. The abundance and diversity of EF communities of the six plants were environment-dependent.

Unraveling the Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of Soil and Root-Associated Microbiome in Texas Olive Orchards: A Comprehensive Analysis

“…The overlapping clusters of the microbial communities from Moulton and Berclair, which are geographically closer (135 km apart), were generally more similar than those from distantly located Carrizo Springs (which is 341 and 285 km from Moulton and Berclair, respectively). As seasons did not affect microbiome variation in our study, variations in soil attributes, such as physicochemical composition, soil conductivity, and pH, could likely have a prominent role [53,54].…”

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First Record of Endophytic fungi Thielavia basicola Isolated from Xerophyte Plants Suaeda aegyptiaca in Basra, Iraq

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“…Endophytic fungi are microorganisms that colonize plant tissues without causing any signs or symptoms [1]. The presence of endophytic varies according to the host plants, as different plant tissues have provided a favorable environment for these fungi [2]. This binding is through the plant's provision of biotic and abiotic conditions for these endophytic microorganisms [3].…”