Geographical and Temporal Changes of Foliar Fungal Endophytes Associated with the Invasive Plant Ageratina adenophora

Abstract

Endophytes may gradually accumulate in the new geographic range of a non-native plant, just as pathogens do. To test this hypothesis, the dynamics of colonization and diversity of foliar fungal endophytes of non-native Ageratina adenophora were investigated. Previous reports showed that the time since the initial introduction (1930s) of A. adenophora into China varied among populations. Endophytes were sampled in three provinces of Southwest China in 21 sites that varied from 20 to 70 years since the introduction of A. adenophora from its native Central America. Endophyte isolation frequencies varied from 1.87% to 60.23% overall in a total of 4,032 leaf fragments. Based on ITS sequence variations, 463 fungal endophytes were distinguished as 112 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) belonging to the Sordariomycetes (77 OTUs, 373 isolates), Dothideomycetes (18 OTUs, 38 isolates), and Agaricomycetes (17 OTUs, 52 strains) classes. Colletotrichum (28.51%), Nemania (14.90%), Phomopsis (13.17%), and Xylaria (4.97%) were the most abundant genera. Both endophyte diversity and overall isolation frequency increased with time since introduction. The genetic differentiation of the fungus Colletotrichum gloeosporioides indicated that the dispersal of endophytes was likely affected by a combination of geographic factors and the invasion history of the host A. adenophora.

Diversity, distribution and biotechnological potential of endophytic fungi

“…mairei, distributed in Jiangxi, Zhejiang and Chongqing regions of China, gave similar results (Wu et al 2013b). Endophytic fungi of the same plant species in the same area are basically similar, but for some fungi, the abundance and distribution differs with the age and the tissue of plants (Arnold and Herre 2003;Mei et al 2014). Normally, the species and abundance of endophytic fungi increase as the host ages.…”

“…Endophytic fungi have been isolated from a variety of healthy plant species ranging from crops (Fisher et al 1992;Larran et al 2002;Kim et al 2007;Usuki and Narisawa 2007;Yuan et al 2010;Yan et al 2011), invasive plants (Mei et al 2014), woody tree species -especially medicinal plants - Rhoden et al 2012;Wu et al 2013a), mosses (U'Ren et al 2010, ferns (Del Olmo-Ruiz and Arnold 2014), and also lichens (U'Ren et al 2010). In general, Alternaria, Colletotrichum, Fusarium, Gibberella, Glomerella, Guignardia, Leptosphaerulina, Nigrospora, Phoma, Phomopsis and Xylaria are the genera most commonly isolated (Table 1).…”

“…in U. macrocarpa, respectively. Mei et al (2014) isolated 463 endophytic fungi grouped in 112 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) including 38 genera from leaves of the invasive plant Ageratina adenophora. Colletotrichum spp.…”

De Novo Transcriptome Analysis of Plant Pathogenic Fungus Myrothecium roridum and Identification of Genes Associated with Trichothecene Mycotoxin Biosynthesis

“…The pathogenic mechanism remains unclear. Fungi of Collecotrichum , Nemania , Xylaria , Phomopsis , and Alternaria isolated from leaves of Ageratina adenophora showed strong pathogenicity towards 11 kinds of native plants and four types of economical crops [14]. Phyllosticta capitalensis , a kind of plant endophyte, displayed pathogenicity towards various plant families [15].…”

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“…The effects of rhizo-and endophytic bacteria on the invasion of exotic plants are species-specific and vary across environmental conditions (Long et al, 2008;Rout & Callaway, 2012;Dai et al, 2016). As people have done for fungal diversity in invasive plants (Shipunov et al, 2008;Mei et al, 2014), it is equally important to explore the diversity of bacteria associated with invasive plants to understand the plant-bacterial interactions that occur in the plant-invasion mechanism, Senecio vulgaris (Asteraceae), an annual or biennial herb, is treated as a weed in the United Kingdom, Western Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand (Paul & Ayres, 1987;Müller-Schärer & Frantzen, 1996;Vitousek et al, 1996;Frantzen & Hatcher, 1997;Robinson et al, 2003;Figueroa et al, 2007). Senecio vulgaris are small plants with short life cycles and a high self-crossing rate that can produce large numbers of seeds, which can germinate under the right conditions at any time; therefore, its ability to spread is very strong (Robinson et al, 2003).…”