Abstract
Fungal endophytes isolated from mountain-cultivated ginseng (MCG, Panax ginseng Meyer) were explored for their diversity and biocontrol activity against ginseng pathogens (Alternaria panax, Botrytis cinerea, Cylindrocarpon destructans, Pythium sp. and Rhizoctonia solani). A total of 1,300 isolates were isolated from three tissues (root, stem and leaf) from MCGs grown in 24 different geographic locations in Korea. In total, 129 different fungal isolates were authenticated by molecular identification based on internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences. The fungal endophytes belonged to Ascomycota (81.7%), Basidiomycota (7.08%), Zygomycota (10%) and Unknown (1.15%), with 59 genera. Analysis of diversity indices across sampling sites suggested species abundance as a function of geographical and environmental factors of the locations. Shannon diversity index and richness in the different tissues revealed that root tissues are colonized more than stem and leaf tissues, and also certain fungal endophytes are tissue specific. Assessment of the ethyl acetate extracts from 129 fungal isolates for their biocontrol activity against 5 ginseng pathogens revealed that Trichoderma polysporum produces the antimcriobial metabolite against all the pathogens. This result indicates the promise of its potential usage as a biocontrol agent.
Highlights
Ginseng (Panax ginseng Meyer) is a perennial herb, whose roots are highly valued for medicinal purposes for more than 1,000 years[1]
A total of 1,300 culturable fungal endophytes were isolated from 3 different tissues of Mountain-cultivated ginseng (MCG) plants based on morphological characteristics across 24 different sites
The group of Zygomycota constituted Mortierella, Mucor, Umbelopsis and Zygorhynchus. These results suggested the diversity in fungal endophytes collected from different tissues of MCGs located at different sites
Summary
Ginseng (Panax ginseng Meyer) is a perennial herb, whose roots are highly valued for medicinal purposes for more than 1,000 years[1]. Understanding the role of fungal endophytes in ecosystems has been challenged by indiscriminate pesticides and lack of characterization of fungal diversity, despite importance of symbiotic interactions between host plants and fungi[7]. The results of such symbiotic interactions can be different based on particular environmental conditions or interacting species ecology in local[8]. Previous studies report phylogenetic diversity and biocontrol potential of fungal endophytes in field-cultivated ginseng (FCG)[18,19,20], whereas fungal endophytes in MCG are still poorly characterized. Our investigation brings forth the fungal endophytes that can be used in biological control of ginseng pathogens
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