The interplay between the effectiveness of the grass‐endophyte mutualism and the genetic variability of the host plant

Gundel, Pedro E.; Omacini, Marina; Sadras, Víctor O.; Ghersa, Claudio M.

doi:10.1111/j.1752-4571.2010.00152.x

Cited by 40 publications

(64 citation statements)

References 71 publications

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“…Therefore, endophyte incidence within a population may vary according to variations in fitness between symbiotic and non‐symbiotic plants, in endophyte transmission and in migratory processes (Ravel, Michalakis & Charmet ; Saikkonen, Ion & Gyllenberg ; Afkhami & Rudgers ; Gundel et al . , ; Gundel, Rudgers & Ghersa ). Further, knowledge about the broad‐scale patterns of this symbiosis should provide a better understanding of the ecological factors controlling its success.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…In addition, low resource conditions may impair the endophyte transmission to the next plant cohorts and so destabilise the mutualism (Gundel et al . ; Gundel, Rudgers & Ghersa ). Therefore, endophyte incidence within a population may vary according to variations in fitness between symbiotic and non‐symbiotic plants, in endophyte transmission and in migratory processes (Ravel, Michalakis & Charmet ; Saikkonen, Ion & Gyllenberg ; Afkhami & Rudgers ; Gundel et al .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Broad‐scale variation of fungal‐endophyte incidence in temperate grasses

et al. 2015

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Summary1. The strength of many interactions between plants and other organisms changes across regional gradients. For example, the relevance of plant-herbivore interactions increases with primary production. Likewise, biotic interactions collectively become more intense from the poles to the equator. Yet, the regional variation of the interaction between grasses and systemic fungal endophytes, which provide resistance to biotic and abiotic environmental factors (i.e. herbivory and drought), is poorly understood. 2. We compiled 1008 records of the incidence level of fungal endophytes (Epichlo€ e, Ascomycetes: Clavicipitaceae) on wild populations of 48 cool season grasses, encompassing 10 biomes across a broad latitudinal expanse and primary production gradient. Symbiosis incidence was analysed as a function of mean primary production, precipitation, temperature and latitude of each site, which in turn were obtained from climatic and satellital sources. 3. Across a 30-fold variation of mean primary production, average symbiosis incidence increased from 20% to 70%. The pattern became stronger when the analysis was restricted to the single grass genus Festuca, which accounted for half of the total data. 4. The number of grass populations showing no symbiosis incidence (0%) decreased as primary production increased, whereas those with 100% of incidence increased. 5. Primary production at the regional scale was negatively correlated with latitude but positively with mean annual temperature and precipitation. Symbiosis incidence was similarly correlated with latitude and temperature, and it was not with mean annual precipitation. 6. Synthesis. Different descriptors of this grass-fungus symbiosis show that average incidence in wild populations world-wide increases with mean primary production. As at large spatial scales herbivory and temperature increase and aridity decreases with primary production, our results suggest that, at broad-scales, these biotic and abiotic factors may be important drivers of the symbiosis success.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Broad‐scale variation of fungal‐endophyte incidence in temperate grasses

et al. 2015

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“…Host outcrossing is hypothesized to create genetic incompatibilities between symbiotic partners that could reduce symbiont vertical transmission and viability (Saikkonen et al , Cheplick and Faeth , Gundel et al ). Overall, our experimental results fail to support this hypothesis.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does host outcrossing disrupt compatibility with heritable symbionts?

Sneck

Rudgers

Young

et al. 2019

Oikos

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Vertically transmitted microbes are common in macro‐organisms and can enhance host defense against environmental stress. Because vertical transmission couples host and symbiont lineages, symbionts may become specialized to host species or genotypes. Specialization and contrasting reproductive modes of symbiotic partners could create incompatibilities between inherited symbionts and novel host genotypes when hosts outcross or hybridize. Such incompatibilities could manifest as failed colonization or poor symbiont growth in host offspring that are genetically dissimilar from their maternal host. Moreover, outcrossing between host species could influence both host and symbiont reproductive performance. We tested these hypotheses by manipulating outcrossing between populations and species of two grasses, Elymus virginicus and E. canadensis, that host vertically transmitted fungal endophytes (genus Epichloё). In both greenhouse and field settings, we found that host–symbiont compatibility was robust to variation in host genetic background, spanning within‐population, between‐population and between‐species crosses. Symbiont transmission into the F1 generation was generally high and weakly affected by host outcrossing. Furthermore, endophytes grew equally well in planta regardless of host genetic background and transmitted at high frequencies into the F2 generation. However, outcrossing, especially inter‐specific hybridization, reduced reproductive fitness of the host, and thereby the symbiont. Our results challenge the hypothesis that host genetic recombination, which typically exceeds that of symbionts, is a disruptive force in heritable symbioses. Instead, symbionts may be sufficiently generalized to tolerate ecologically realistic variation in host outcrossing.

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“…Many mutualistic interactions are thought to undergo the evolutionary pathway from pathogenic toward mutualistic symbioses. In this regard, the coevolution of endophytes with host plants may include the complete loss of horizontal transmission and sexual reproduction as well as the complete dependency of the host (Gundel, Omacini, Sadras, & Ghersa, 2010). It is possible that A. sibiricum may have been infected by Eg earlier than Es , and the beneficial effect of Eg to A. sibiricum was mainly in growth enhancement.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Endophyte species influence the biomass production of the native grassAchnatherum sibiricum(L.) Keng under high nitrogen availability

Zhou

Mace

et al. 2016

Ecology and Evolution

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Research on the interaction of endophytes and native grasses normally takes infection status into account, but less often considers the species of endophyte involved in the interaction. Here, we examined the effect of endophyte infection, endophyte species, nitrogen availability, and plant maternal genotype on the performance of a wild grass, Achnatherum sibiricum. Six different Epichloë‐infected maternal lines of A. sibiricum were used in the study; three lines harbored Epichloë gansuensis (Eg), while three lines harbored Epichloë sibirica (Es). These endophytes are vertically transmitted, while Eg also occasionally produces stromata on host tillers. We experimentally removed the endophyte from some ramets of the six lines, with the infected (E+) and uninfected (E−) plants grown under varying levels of nitrogen availability. Eg hosts produced more aboveground biomass than Es hosts only under high nitrogen supply. Endophyte species did not show any influence on the maximum net photosynthetic rate (P max), photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency, or total phenolics of A. sibiricum under all nitrogen conditions. However, the plant maternal genotype did influence the P max and shoot biomass of A. sibiricum. Our results show that endophyte species influenced the shoot biomass of A. sibiricum, and this effect was dependent on nitrogen supply. As with most coevolutionary interactions, A. sibiricum that harbored Eg and Es may show pronounced geographic variation in natural habitats with increased nitrogen deposition. In addition, stroma‐bearing endophyte (Eg) provides positive effects (e.g., higher biomass production) to A. sibiricum plants during the vegetative growth stage.

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The interplay between the effectiveness of the grass‐endophyte mutualism and the genetic variability of the host plant

Cited by 40 publications

References 71 publications

Broad‐scale variation of fungal‐endophyte incidence in temperate grasses

Broad‐scale variation of fungal‐endophyte incidence in temperate grasses

Does host outcrossing disrupt compatibility with heritable symbionts?

Endophyte species influence the biomass production of the native grassAchnatherum sibiricum(L.) Keng under high nitrogen availability

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