Abstract
The endosphere of ginseng contains a variety of fungal, bacterial, archaeal and viral endophytes. Bacterial endophytes are primarily members of the Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes, and fungal endophytes are primarily members of the Ascomycota, Zygomycota and Basidiomycota. Although archaea and viruses have been detected in symptomless ginseng plants, little is known about them. Many but not all studies have shown roots having the highest abundance and diversity of bacterial and fungal endophytes, with some endophytes showing specificity to above or belowground tissues. Abundance often increases with root age, although diversity can decrease, possibly related to increases in potential latent fungal pathogen infections. The descriptions of many endophytes that can metabolize ginsenosides indicate an adaptation of the microbes to the unique combination of secondary metabolites found in ginseng tissues. Most research on the benefits provided by bacterial and fungal endophytes has concentrated on improved plant nutrition, growth promotion and increased disease resistance, but little on their ability to increase abiotic stress resistance. Some other areas where more research is needed is field trials with endophyte-treated plants grown in various environments, genomic/metagenomic analysis of endophytes, and the effects of endophytes on induced disease resistance and abiotic stress tolerance.
Highlights
IntroductionThe diversity of bacterial endophytes can be affected by many factors, including plant tissue type, plant development, soil type and environmental conditions
Endosphere Microbiome of Ginseng.An endophyte has been defined as a fungus or bacterium colonizing the internal tissues of a plant without resulting in visible disease symptoms, which would include microbes that are beneficial as well as having no apparent effect on the plant [1]
A range of bacterial endophytes in two Panax species have been identified by isolation or direct DNA sequencing from plant tissues
Summary
The diversity of bacterial endophytes can be affected by many factors, including plant tissue type, plant development, soil type and environmental conditions. Fungal endophytes in most plants are primarily members of the Ascomycota, Basidiomycota and Zygomycota [9] Their diversity is affected by similar factors as bacterial endophytes but with some differences, such as often having higher diversity and abundance in roots but followed by leaves and stems [10]. Some plant viruses do not cause noticeable symptoms in plants, like bacteria and fungi, and could be considered endophytic based on the definition of Wilson [1] Such viruses are often termed cryptic or persistent [13] or much more rarely termed endophytic [14]. This review will concentrate on the factors affecting ginseng endophyte diversity and abundance, as well as benefits to ginseng provided by the endophytes
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