Environmental factors and host genetic variation shape the fungal endophyte communities within needles of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris)

Abstract

To determine the role of environmental and host genetic factors in shaping fungal endophyte communities we used culturing and metabarcoding techniques to quantify fungal taxa within healthy Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) needles in a 7-y old provenance-progeny trial replicated at three sites. Both methods revealed a community of ascomycete and basidiomycete taxa dominated by the needle pathogen Lophodermium seditiosum. Differences in fungal endophyte taxon composition and diversity indices were highly significant among trial sites. Within two sites, fungal endophyte communities varied significantly among provenances. Furthermore, the communities differed significantly among maternal families within provenances in 11/15 and 7/15 comparisons involving culture and metabarcoding data respectively. We conclude that both environmental and host genetic variation shape the fungal endophyte community of P. sylvestris needles.