The temporal and spatial endophytic fungal community of Huperzia serrata: diversity and relevance to huperzine A production by the host

Abstract

Background Plants maintain the steady-state balance of the mutually beneficial symbiosis relationship with their endophytic fungi through secondary metabolites. Meanwhile endophytic fungi can serve as biological inducers to promote the biosynthesis and accumulation of valuable secondary metabolites in host plants through a variety of ways. The composition and structure of endophytic fungal community are affected by many factors, including tissues, seasons and so on. In this work, we studied the community diversity, temporal and spatial pattern of endophytic fungi detected from the roots, stems and leaves of Huperzia serrata in different seasons. The correlation between endophytic fungi and huperzine A (HupA) content in plants was analyzed. Results A total of 7005 operational taxonomic units were detected, and all strains were identified as 14 phyla, 54 classes, 140 orders, 351 families and 742 genera. Alpha diversity analysis showed that the diversity of endophytic fungi in stem and leaf was higher than that in root, and the diversity in summer (August) was lower than that in other months. NMDS analysis showed that the endophytic fungal communities of leaves, stems and roots were significantly different, and the root and leaf communities were also different between four seasons. Through correlation analysis, it was found that 33 genera of the endophytic fungi of H. serrata showed a significant positive correlation with the content of HupA (p < 0.05), of which 13 genera (Strelitziana, Devriesia, Articulospora, Derxomyces, Cyphellophora, Trechispora, Kurtzmanomyces, Capnobotryella, Erythrobasidium, Camptophora, Stagonospora, Lachnum, Golubevia) showed a highly significant positive correlation with the content of HupA (p < 0.01). These endophytic fungi may have the potential to promote the biosynthesis and accumulation of HupA in plant. Conclusions This report is the first time to analyze the diversity of endophytic fungi in tissues of H. serrata in different seasons, which proves that there is variability in different tissues and seasonal distribution patterns. These findings provide references to the study of endophytic fungi of H. serrata.

Contrasting Phyllosphere Mycobiome in two Lycopodiaceae Plant Species: Unraveling Potential HupA-Producing Fungi and Fungal Interactions

“…Our study reveals a correlation between HupA content and the diversity distribution patterns of fungi across tissues of H. asiatica, consistent with previous studies on H. serrata [21]. Notably, we observed a distinct pattern in young tissues, such as bulbils and apical shoots, where the fungal diversity was the lowest despite the highest accumulation of HupA.…”

“…Recent research has highlighted the potential of endophytic fungi in HupA production, offering a promising alternative to the challenges associated with natural extraction and chemical synthesis. The mycobiome of Huperzioideae species may play a key role in HupA production, with some fungal species potentially inducing HupA accumulation in the host plants [20][21][22]. Various endophytic fungi have been found to produce HupA independently in culture, without the need for cooperation with the host plant (Supplementary Table S1).…”

“…However, as of yet, none of the identified HupA-producing fungi have successfully been employed for HupA industrial production. Despite of the significant ecological values of Lycopodiaceae in various ecosystems [24], research on the Lycopodiaceae mycobiome has primarily been focused on a few well-known HupA-producing species, resulting in a limited understanding of fungal diversity within the broader range of Lycopodiaceae species, thus impeding the discovery of new fungal species with high HupA production capacity [21, 25]. Another major hurdle is the repeated sub-culturing of endophytic fungi leads to diminished or complete shut-down of HupA production over generations [26, 27], which could partially be attributed to the absence of other interactive fungi inhabiting the same ecological niche.…”

The diversity of endophytic fungi in Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum) and its correlation with flavonoids and phenotypic traits

“…Specifically, ZC exhibited the highest total flavonoid and phenolic content in its roots, stems, and leaves. The LT leaves displayed higher total flavonoid content, but lower total Numerous studies have demonstrated the influence of endophytic fungi on the secondary metabolite content in plants (Shen et al, 2022;Lu et al, 2023). The results of this study indicated significant differences in the composition and abundance of endophytic fungi among the seven distinct collection sites of Tartary buckwheat materials.…”

Diversity of Endophytes of Actinidia arguta in Different Seasons

“…The seasonal characteristics are associated with the accumulation of active components of Delftia and Sphingomonas paucimobilis in medicinal tissues [17]. The diversity of endophytic fungi in the roots, stems, and leaves of Huperzia serrata varies significantly across different seasons, with lower diversity observed during summer compared to other seasons [18]. Furthermore, research indicates that the season is a key factor in determining the endophytic bacterial community in mulberry trees, followed by host varieties [19].…”