Mycobiology.  2015 Dec;43(4):373-383. 10.5941/MYCO.2015.43.4.373.

Diversity and Plant Growth Promoting Capacity of Endophytic Fungi Associated with Halophytic Plants from the West Coast of Korea

Affiliations
  • 1School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Institute for Microorganisms, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Korea. kimjg@knu.ac.kr
  • 2Department of Biology, College of National Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Korea.
  • 3School of Applied Biosciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Korea.
  • 4Biological and Genetic Resources Assessment Division, National Institute of Biological Resources, Incheon 22689, Korea. yhj9253@korea.kr

Abstract

Five halophytic plant species, Suaeda maritima, Limonium tetragonum, Suaeda australis, Phragmites australis, and Suaeda glauca Bunge, which are native to the Muan salt marsh of South Korea, were examined for fungal endophytes by sequencing the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region containing ITS1, 5.8S rRNA, and ITS2. In total, 160 endophytic fungal strains were isolated and identified from the roots of the 5 plant species. Taxonomically, all 160 strains belonged to the phyla Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, and Zygomycota. The most dominant genus was Fusarium, followed by the genera Penicillium and Alternaria. Subsequently, using 5 statistical methods, the diversity indices of the endophytes were determined at genus level. Among these halophytic plants, P. australis was found to host the greatest diversity of endophytic fungi. Culture filtrates of endophytic fungi were treated to Waito-C rice seedlings for plant growth-promoting effects. The fungal strain Su-3-4-3 isolated from S. glauca Bunge provide the maximum plant length (20.1 cm) in comparison with wild-type Gibberella fujikuroi (19.6 cm). Consequently, chromatographic analysis of the culture filtrate of Su-3-4-3 showed the presence of physiologically active gibberellins, GA(1) (0.465 ng/mL), GA(3) (1.808 ng/mL) along with other physiologically inactive GA(9) (0.054 ng/mL) and GA(24) (0.044 ng/mL). The fungal isolate Su-3-4-3 was identified as Talaromyces pinophilus.

Keyword

Fungal endophytes; Genetic diversity; Gibberellin; Halophytic plants; Plant growth promotion; Salt marsh

MeSH Terms

Alternaria
Ascomycota
Basidiomycota
Chenopodiaceae
Endophytes
Fungi*
Fusarium
Genetic Variation
Gibberella
Gibberellins
Korea*
Penicillium
Plants*
Plumbaginaceae
Salt-Tolerant Plants*
Seedlings
Talaromyces
Wetlands
Gibberellins
Full Text Links
  • MB
Actions
Cited
CITED
export Copy
Close
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Similar articles
Copyright © 2024 by Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors. All rights reserved.     E-mail: koreamed@kamje.or.kr