The Fungal Endophyte as a Potential Biocontrol Agent Against .

Anthracnose caused by is one of most serious fungal diseases on Chinese fir (). Eight fungal endophytes were isolated from a young heathy branch of Chinese fir and screened against the pathogen in vitro. One isolate, designated as SMEL1 and subsequently identified as based on morphological and phylogenetic analyses, suppressed mycelial growth of on dual-culture plates. Additionally, metabolites significantly decreased the biomass of . was able to enter the internal tissues of the host plant via stomatal cells. Metabolites of significantly inhibited conidial germination and appressorium formation, which at least partly explained why the endophyte significantly inhibited lesion development caused by on various host plants. We further confirmed that some components with antifungal activity could be extracted from using ethyl acetate as an organic solvent. To our knowledge, this is the first report of as a potential biocontrol agent against a fungal phytopathogen.