Community composition and diversity of endophytic fungi from the fruits of Pteroceltis tatarinowii.

Abstract

Endophytic fungi from the fruit of Pteroceltis tatarinowii were studied, to understand the characteristics of microbial community composition on this ancient and peculiar wild plant. Healthy fruits were collected from areas of the natural distribution of P. tatarinowii in Langyashan Natural Reserve, Anhui Province, China. Endophytic fungi were isolated from fruit tissue, and fungal strains were classified on the basis of morphology. From 500 tissue blocks taken from fruit, a total of 428 isolates of endophytic fungi were identified and classified into 20 genera, 4 families, and 3 orders. Eighty strains showed no reproductive structures, and were classified as Mycelia sterilia (18.7%). The dominant families were Dematiaceae and Sphaeropsidaceae, occupying 38.1% and 32.9% of isolates, respectively. Alternaria and Phomopsis were the dominant genera, accounting for 27.1% and 16.8% of isolates. Different parts of the fruit had different compositions of endophytes. The highest number of fungi was isolated from seeds (19 genera, 181 strains, 42.3%), and the lowest from fruiting wings (7 genera, 88 strains, 20.6%). Alternaria was the commonest genus of endophytes, isolated from three different parts of the fruit. Phomopsis and Macrophoma were the dominant genera on carpopodium and fruiting wings, respectively. The communities on carpopodium and fruiting wings were most similar to one another (CS=0.78), while those on fruiting wings and seeds were least similar (CS=0.50). Fisher's exact test showed no significant difference between the compositions of endophytes from the carpopodium and fruiting wings, while significant diffe-rences were observed between communities on seed and carpopodium, and seed and fruiting wings.