Fungal endophyte communities in the temperate fernPolystichum munitumshow early colonization and extensive temporal turnover

Abstract

We conclude that hosts a variety of fungal endophyte taxa, similarly to other land plants. However, the rapid shift of the endophyte community we report is an unprecedented observation. Therefore, we further conclude that repeated sampling should be the standard in endophyte studies, because single sampling events are not sufficient to capture the dynamic nature of these cryptic microfungi.

Differences in foliar endophyte communities of red alder (Alnus rubra) exposed to varying air pollutant levels

“…In this study, we determined that foliar fungal endophyte communities may be structured in part by proximity to specific point sources of air pollution in sites across a metropolitan area. We did observe high variability in isolation frequency among both trees and sampling sites, underscoring the dynamic nature of endophyte communities, which can vary temporally and spatially within host plant tissues (Ek-Ramos et al 2013;Younginger and Ballhorn 2017). While overall community composition varied by site, the most abundant species were recovered from multiple sites and represent a considerable population of generalist endophytes (Stone et al 2004), including several species in Alternaria and Cladosporium as well as Diaporthe, another common endophyte genus that contains many pathogenic species.…”

“…Leaves were no more than 15 cm long from apex to petiole and all of the trees had a DBH < 17.5 cm. Samples were returned to the lab and surface-sterilized in a laminar-flow cabinet using the following procedure: dip in 0.1% Tween 20, rinse for 30 s in deionized (DI) water, soak for 10 s in 95% ethanol, soak for 2 min in 0.5% sodium hypochlorite (8.25%), and then soak for 2 min in 70% ethanol, followed by air-drying in the laminar-flow cabinet (Younginger and Ballhorn 2017). Leaves were then sectioned into pieces approximately 5 mm in diameter with flame-sterilized scalpels; four pieces were plated on malt extract agar (MEA) and sealed with Parafilm, and the remaining pieces were placed into Eppendorf tubes and stored at −80°C until further analysis by direct sequencing of the ITS region.…”

“…Well-studied symbionts determining plant performance include nitrogen-fixing bacteria and mycorrhizal fungi that inhabit plant roots. However, microbial colonization can occur in any part of the plant, and communities may vary temporally and by plant tissue type (Ek-Ramos et al 2013;Younginger and Ballhorn 2017). A particularly diverse group of plant-associated microbes are foliar endophytic fungi.…”

Environmental filtering structures fungal endophyte communities in tree bark

“…Reports of actively growing endophytic mycelium, isolated from surface sterilized elm (Webber, 1981), pacific yew (Stierle et al, 1993), beech, oak (Griffith & Boddy, 1990), pine and larch bark (Kowalski & Kehr, 1992), indirectly support these claims. Understanding the potential seasonal turnover of these communities will strengthen our understanding of the natural history of these organisms and their role in inner tree bark (Younginger & Ballhorn, 2017).…”

Do Foliar Endophytes Matter in Litter Decomposition?

“…However, few studies examined the role of foliar endophytes in the decomposition of litter from non-grass hosts (i.e., Class 2 or 3, or non-clavicipitaceous endophytes), and even fewer studies focused on the effects of endophytes on leaf litter decomposition in aquatic systems. Although ubiquitous within plant tissues, endophyte Microorganisms 2020, 8,446 2 of 12 communities can vary spatially and temporally within host plants [17] and represent an important bridge between host plant characteristics that influence decomposition and the decomposer community.…”