Endophytic fungi associated with Ziziphus species and new records from mountainous area of Oman

Abstract

El-Nagerabi SAF, Elshafie AE, AlKhanjari SS. 2013. Endophytic fungi associated with Ziziphus species from mountainous area of . Ziziphus species of the family Rhamnaceae grow extensively in arid and semi-arid regions. It is possible that the endophytic fungi associated with this plant might enhance the host resistance to the environmental impacts. The endophytic fungal population inhabiting the healthy leaves of Z. spina-christi and Z. hajanensis plants were determined from April 2008 to October 2011. The endophytic fungal communities varied between the two species, and 45 fungal species, 18 sterile mycelia and 12 yeasts were isolated from Z. spina-christi, whereas 35 fungi, 11 sterile mycelia and 5 yeasts were recovered from Z. hajanensis indicating tissue and species-specificity and without any seasonal variation among the endophytes. These endophytes are new to Ziziphus plants and 45 species are new to the mycoflora of Oman, whereas 27 species are new to Arabian Peninsula. The genus Alternaria was the most prevalent (19-81%) followed by Aspergillus (19-78%), Rhizopus stolonifer (78%), Mycelia sterilia (69%), yeasts (47%), Cladosporium (11-56%), Drechslera (14-53%), Curvularia (8-50%), Fusarium (6-33%), Ulocladium (41-31%), Penicillium (3-22%)), Alysidium resinae (11%), Trichocladium (6-11%), Anguillospora longissima, Bactrodesmium rahmii, Catenularia (8%), Helminthosporium sorghi (7%), Dendryphiella infuscans (6%), Hansfordia biophila (3-6%), Arthrinium, Dissophora, and Phoma sorghina (3%). The recovery of many fungal isolates, morphologically various sterile mycelia and yeasts suggests the high biodiversity of the endophytes invading these plants with strong evidence for future isolation of numerous fungal species through adopting more advanced molecular and DNA identification methods.

Endophytes Aspergillus caespitosus LK12 and Phoma sp. LK13 of Moringa peregrina produce gibberellins and improve rice plant growth

“…Previously these fungi were isolated and identified from various sources; however, these are reported first time from the bark of Moringa. El-Nagerabi et al (2013) studied endophytic fungal population and isolated 80 different species including A. caespitosus and Phoma sorghina from the healthy leaves of Ziziphus spinachristi and Ziziphus hajanensis plants from the same study area over four years. They found that host-specific association with endophytes showed no seasonal variation.…”

Endophytic fungi associated with endogenous Boswellia sacra

“…The variations of endophytes/epiphytes diversity are due to generic variations among plants and the environmental conditions (Elamo et al 1999). In Oman, little research has been carried out on coprophilous fungi (Gene et al 1993;Elshafie 2005), aflatoxins and mycotoxigenic moulds (Elshafie and Al-Shally 1998;Elshafie et al 1999;2002), nematophagous fungi (Elshafie et al 2003(Elshafie et al , 2005, endophytes (El-Nagerabi et al 2013) and some plant diseases (Al-Bahry et al 2005;Elshafie and Ba-Omer 2001). Nonetheless, there is no published study on the biodiversity of the fungal flora of the wild and cultivated plants of Dhofar Mountains, Oman.…”

“…Nonetheless, there is no published study on the biodiversity of the fungal flora of the wild and cultivated plants of Dhofar Mountains, Oman. Endophytic fungi which are associated with wild and cultivated plant in Oman have not yet been extensively explored (El-Nagerabi et al 2013).…”

Dieback and decline of wild almond (Amygdalus scopariaSpach) in the Harat protected forest of Yazd Province, Iran

“…U. consortiale has been reported as an endophyte on leaves and twigs of various plant species(El-Nagerabi, 2013;El- Nagerabi, Elshafie, & Alkhanjari, 2014) Douglas (1973). U. consortiale has been reported as an endophyte on leaves and twigs of various plant species(El-Nagerabi, 2013;El- Nagerabi, Elshafie, & Alkhanjari, 2014) Douglas (1973).…”

“…). U. consortiale has been reported as an endophyte on leaves and twigs of various plant species(El-Nagerabi, 2013;El- Nagerabi, Elshafie, & Alkhanjari, 2014) Douglas (1973). stated simultaneous inoculation of U. consortiale and pathogen fungus Alternaria solani caused significantly more severe infection of plants than inoculation of A. solani alone.…”