[Endophytic fungal diversity of four bryophyte species in Dawei Mountain, Southwest of China].

OBJECTIVE

We analyzed endophytic fungi from 4 bryophyte species: Mnium sp. , Marchantia polymorpha, Polytrichum commune and Hylocomium splendens, collected from Dawei Mountain, Southwest of China, to study the diversity of fungal endophytes of bryophytes in different environment and their roles in the evolution from aquaqtic plant to terrestrial plant.

METHODS

Endophytic fungi were isolated by culturable method and identified to species or genera level based on morphological characteristics and molecular analysis.

RESULTS

Nine hundred fungal endophytes were isolated from 630 tissue segments of 4 different plants. All endophytes were identified to 57 taxon. Among them, Xylaria, Colletotrichum, Penicillium and Trichoderma were the dominant genera. The Shannon index (H') and similarity coefficients (CS) of endophytic fungi from 4 plants were 1.80 - 3.22 and 0.409 - 0.613, respectively, higher than those of bryophytes growing in extreme environments.

CONCLUSION

The diversity and richness of endophytes from 4 bryophytes in Dawei Mountain are similar to those of plants growing in the similar environment.