Fungal root endophyte associations of plants endem

Authors: Szymon Zubek Marcin Nobis Janusz Błaszkowski Piotr Mleczko Arkadiusz Nowak

Publish Date: 2011/11/19

Volume: 54, Issue: 3, Pages: 139-149

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Abstract

The fungal root endophyte associations of 16 species from 12 families of plants endemic to the Pamir Alay Mountains of Central Asia are presented The plants and soil samples were collected in Zeravshan and Hissar ranges within the central Pamir Alay mountain system Colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi AMF was found in 15 plant species in 8 species it was of the Arum type and in 4 of the Paris type while 3 taxa revealed intermediate arbuscular mycorrhiza AM morphology AMF colonization was found to be absent only in Matthiola integrifolia the representative of the Brassicaceae family The AM status and morphology are reported for the first time for all the species analyzed and for the genera Asyneuma Clementsia and Eremostachys Mycelia of dark septate endophytes DSE accompanied the AMF colonization in ten plant species The frequency of DSE occurrence in the roots was low in all the plants with the exception of Spiraea baldschuanica However in the case of both low and higher occurrence the percentage of DSE root colonization was low Moreover the sporangia of Olpidium spp were sporadically found inside the root epidermal cells of three plant species Seven AMF species Glomeromycota found in the trap cultures established with soils surrounding roots of the plants being studied were reported for the first time from this region of Asia Our results provide information that might well be of use to the conservation and restoration programmes of these valuable plant species The potential application of beneficial rootinhabiting fungi in active plant protection projects of rare endemic and endangered plants is discussedThe Pamir Alay Mountains are a Central Asian mountain system situated on the border of subtropical and temperate climatic zones Both this location and the system’s considerable variations in altitude are favourable to a high floristic diversity The Central Asian mountains have therefore been recognized by Conservation International as being among thirtyfour of the world’s biodiversity “hotspots” Mittermeier et al 2005 and as one of the eleven most important focal points for future plant diversity studies and conservation Giam et al 2010 Nowak et al 2011 Especially interesting are the mountain ranges of central part of the Pamir Alay Mountains situated almost exclusively in the area of Tajikistan The flora of this region comprises ca 4500–5000 vascular plant species of which approximately 1486 species are generally accepted as endemics endemics sensu stricto and subendemics Rasulova 1991 Nobis 2011 Nowak et al 2011 Many of them are endangered as a result of anthropogenic activity and global climate change Safarov 2003 Malcolm et al 2006 Nowak et al 2011 However studies relating to their conservation are as yet insufficient Myers et al 2000 Lamoreux et al 2006 Nowak and Nobis 2010 Nowak et al 2011 Moreover no investigations on the fungal root associations of these valuable species have been conducted to date although there is a need for interdisciplinary studies on the biology and ecology of this group of plants to develop effective methods of their maintenance and propagation Turnau and Haselwandter 2002 Zubek et al 2008 2009 Bothe et al 2010 Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi AMF as well as some strains of dark septate endophytes DSE have been found to stimulate the growth and vitality of plants reviewed by Smith and Read 2008 and Newsham 2011 In view of the beneficial role of these microorganisms both AMF and some strains of DSE are considered to be crucial for the maintenance and conservation of rare endemic and endangered plants Turnau and Haselwandter 2002 Fuchs and Haselwandter 2004 Zubek et al 2009 Wu and Guo 2008 Bothe et al 2010 Wu et al 2010 The aim of our studies was therefore to determine the mycorrhizal status the degree of root colonization by AMF and other fungal endophytes and to evaluate the morphotypes of arbuscular mycorrhiza AM of selected endemic plants of the Pamir Alay Mountains We also isolated and identified AMF species associated with the taxa being investigated Such research is deemed a prerequisite for successful plant conservation efforts Turnau and Haselwandter 2002 Bothe et al 2010

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