Fungal root endophytes influence plants in a species‐specific manner that depends on plant's growth stage

Abstract

The mycobiome (fungal microbiome) influences plants—from seed germination to full maturation. While many studies on fungal‐plant interaction studies have focused on known mutualistic and pathogenic fungi, the functional role of ubiquitous endophytic fungi remains little explored. We examined how root‐inhabiting fungi (endophytes) influence range‐expanding plant species. We isolated endophytes from three European intra‐continental range‐expanders and three congenerics that are native both in the range expander's original (southern Europe) and new (northern Europe) range. To standardize our collection, endophytes were obtained from all six plant species growing under controlled conditions in northern (new range of the range expander) and southern (native range of the range expander) soils. We cultivated, molecularly identified and tested the effects of all isolates on seed germination, and growth of seedlings and older plants. Most of the 34 isolates could not be functionally characterized based on their taxonomic identity and literature information on functions. Endophytes affected plant growth in a plant species–endophyte‐specific manner, but overall differed between range‐expanders and natives. While endophytes reduced germination and growth of range‐expanders compared to natives, they reduced seedling growth of natives more than of range‐expanders. Synthesis. We conclude that endophytic fungi have a direct effect on plant growth in a plant growth stage‐dependent manner. While these effects differed between range expanders and natives, the effect strength and significance varied among the plant genera included in the present study. Nevertheless, endophytes likely influence the establishment of newly arriving plants and influence vegetation dynamics.

Species identity and combinations differ in their overall benefits to Astragalus adsurgens plants inoculated with single or multiple endophytic fungi under drought conditions

“…However, not all fungal inoculations participated in plant growth promotion. Regardless of the single or combined inoculations, the effects mainly depended on different fungal species and combinations, which approved the previous reports that fungal species may be one of the factors influencing symbiotic relationships and plant performance (Wazny et al, 2018 ; Geisen et al, 2021 ). Liu et al ( 2020b ) found that the synergistic effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and endophytic fungi on tall fescue depended on the species of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.…”

Distinct effects of phyllosphere and rhizosphere microbes on invaderAgeratina adenophoraduring its early life stages

“…The plant growth stage could change the impact of plant host-associated microbes, and such an impact is always strongest in early plant growth stages (Bagchi et al, 2014; Jevon et al, 2020). One potential reason is that small seedlings usually allocate most of their resources to survive and grow, while older seedlings have relatively more resources to defend against pathogen infection (Geisen et al, 2021; Schloter & Matyssek, 2009). For example, smaller seedlings were more sensitive to inoculated individual fungi, soil microbiota or litter addition than older seedlings due to fewer defense resources and little chance of recovering from biomass loss (Geisen et al, 2021; Jevon et al, 2020; Zhang et al, 2022).…”

“…One potential reason is that small seedlings usually allocate most of their resources to survive and grow, while older seedlings have relatively more resources to defend against pathogen infection (Geisen et al, 2021; Schloter & Matyssek, 2009). For example, smaller seedlings were more sensitive to inoculated individual fungi, soil microbiota or litter addition than older seedlings due to fewer defense resources and little chance of recovering from biomass loss (Geisen et al, 2021; Jevon et al, 2020; Zhang et al, 2022). Another possible reason is related to the interaction between seed-borne microbes and peripheral microbial sources in young seedlings.…”

TheMybfamily genes in the rice pathogenMagnaporthe oryzae: Finding and deleting more family members involved in pathogenicity

“…Three of these hits were in other strains of Pyricularia oryzae (M. oryzae teleomorph), which is not strange. Maybe more interesting, common to all hits, including the ones in M.oryzae , they are all fungi known to produce melanized hydrophobic structures (Collado et al ., 2002; Liu et al ., 2009; Kokaew et al ., 2011; Al-Khawaldeh et al ., 2020; Geisen et al ., 2021; Sarsaiya et al ., 2020; Li et al ., 2016; Gao et al ., 2021; Chen et al ., 2021) indicating that our results showing a possible involvement of MoMyb13 in hydrophobin production could be relevant also for these similar proteins in diverse fungi all belonging to the class Sordariomycetes. Interestingly, all these melanized fungi are also known to grow endophytically, as M. oryzae do in the first biotrophic stages of infection (Kankanala et al ., 2007) when MoMyb13 is upregulated ( Fig.…”