Abstract
Holoparasitism is a special life cycle of flowering plants. All carbon resources are provided by photosynthetic host plants. A recent study revealed the presence of endophytic fungi in holoparasitic plants, but their ecological and evolutionary roles are still unknown. In this study, we examined endophytic fungi isolated from the holoparasitic plant Balanophora japonica (Balanophoraceae), collected from Kochi, Shikoku in western Japan. We isolated 23 fungal strains on inflorescences and tubers from three B. japonica plants at two locations and on one sample of the host plant (Symplocos lancifolia, Symplocaceae). Predominant isolates were Trichoderma-Hypocrea, Penicillium and Phialemonium. The first group was also predominant in the host plant. Fungal composition revealed in this study differed from the composition on B. harlandii or other root holoparasites with endophytic fungal (Rafflesia cantleyi) data. Those differences might be caused by various factors, including growth habits, location, phylogenetic position or host-parasite relationship.
Highlights
Endophytic fungi are microbes that reside in plants, but without any visible symptoms on the host plant [1]-[3]
Holoparasitic plants are echlorophyllous and all substrates necessary for growth and reproduction are drawn from the host plants, with a direct plant-to-plant connection [12] [13]
To uncover the ecological and evolutionary roles, studies focusing on species composition of endophytic fungi in various holoparasitic plants are needed
Summary
Endophytic fungi are microbes that reside in plants, but without any visible symptoms on the host plant [1]-[3]. To uncover the ecological and evolutionary roles, studies focusing on species composition of endophytic fungi in various holoparasitic plants are needed. An updated description of the taxon was presented previously [17] All members of this family fully depend on carbon resources from woody plants growing around them. Balanophora japonica is the most common of the five species of Balanophora in Japan It is widely distributed in the western part of the Japanese archipelago (including the Ryukyus) and Taiwan [19] [20].
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