Species diversity of fungal endophytes across a stress gradient for plants

Abstract

Summary Foliar fungal endophytes are one of the most diverse guilds of symbiotic fungi found in the photosynthetic tissues of every plant lineage, but it is unclear how plant environments and leaf resource availability shape their diversity. We explored correlations between leaf nutrient availability and endophyte diversity among Pinus muricata and Vaccinium ovatum plants growing across a soil nutrient gradient spanning a series of coastal terraces in Mendocino, California. Endophyte richness decreased in plants with higher leaf nitrogen‐to‐phosphorus ratios for both host species, but increased with sodium, which may be toxic to fungi at high concentrations. Isolation frequency, a proxy of fungal biomass, was not significantly predicted by any of the same leaf constituents in the two plant species. We propose that stressed plants can exhibit both low foliar nutrients or high levels of toxic compounds, and that both of these stress responses predict endophyte species richness. Stressful conditions that limit growth of fungi may increase their diversity due to the suppression of otherwise dominating species. Differences between the host species in their endophyte communities may be explained by host specificity, leaf phenology, or microclimates.

Cross‐phytogroup assessment of foliar epiphytic mycobiomes

“…2A and B). These are the same classes that have been found in other comparable studies, although the relative proportions differed (Yao et al ., 2019; Oono et al ., 2020). Moreover, we found that the distribution of foliar epiphytic fungal classes significantly differed between pteridophytes and angiosperms/gymnosperms.…”

Climate and seasonality drive the richness and composition of tropical fungal endophytes at a landscape scale

“…However, among species variation in total condensed tannins was greater in plots in seasonal lowland forest (Parida) than aseasonal lowland forest (Bastimentos) (Supplementary Data 2). In addition to examining qualitative aspects of leaf chemical defenses, and components such as volatiles 40 or available carbon and nitrogen 26,41 , future work should consider the relevance of these components in shaping endophyte communities: tannins are climate sensitive 42 and may be important in influencing the host range and richness of tropical endophyte communities at multiple scales. Thus, endophyte richness may be shaped by climate and seasonality both directly and indirectly via host plants (Fig.…”

The Potential Application of Endophytes in Management of Stress from Drought and Salinity in Crop Plants

“…Recent hypothesis proposed by Oono et al [ 46 ], regarding endophyte species richness in the plant surviving under stress conditions. The lower nutrients and higher concentration of toxic compounds can limit the growth of fungi that may increase their diversity and predict species richness of endophyte, due to suppression of otherwise dominating species.…”