Diversity of Endophytic and Pathogenic Fungi of Saffron (<i>Crocus sativus</i>) Plants from Cultivation Sites in Italy
<i>Crocus sativus</i> is an important crop for the production of saffron and bioactive compounds. Plant endophytic fungi are a source of secondary metabolites additional to those produced by the plant itself. We analysed the biodiversity of endophytic fungi present in corms, stems, leave...
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| Autores principales: | , , |
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| Formato: | article |
| Lenguaje: | EN |
| Publicado: |
MDPI AG
2021
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| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://doaj.org/article/c0b967433d5e4d5f937fac3ff4194d49 |
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| Sumario: | <i>Crocus sativus</i> is an important crop for the production of saffron and bioactive compounds. Plant endophytic fungi are a source of secondary metabolites additional to those produced by the plant itself. We analysed the biodiversity of endophytic fungi present in corms, stems, leaves, tepals, and stigmas of <i>C. sativus</i> from ten Italian sites; furthermore, we isolated putative pathogenic fungi from rotten plants. We used an in vitro isolation approach followed by molecular analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS rDNA) region. We obtained 165 strains belonging to 39 OTUs, spreading over 26 genera and 29 species. Dark septate endophytes of the genus <i>Cadophora</i> and the species <i>Talaromyces pinophilus</i> dominated in corms, while <i>Alternaria alternata</i>, <i>Epicoccum</i> spp., <i>T. pinophilus</i>, <i>Mucor fragilis</i>, and <i>Stemphylium vesicarium</i> dominated in other tissues. The most frequently isolated pathogens were <i>Fusarium oxysporum</i> and <i>Rhizopus oryzae</i>. Endophytic communities significantly differed among tissues and life stages, whereas differences among cultivation sites were not statistically supported. Several endophytes were hypothesized to have changing trophic modes and/or to be latent pathogens in <i>C. sativus</i>. All strains were conserved ex-situ for future bioactivity tests and production of metabolites. |
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