title: Characterization of rhizosphere fungi from selenium hyperaccumulator and nonhyperaccumulator plants along the eastern Rocky Mountain Front Range.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Selenium-hyperaccumulator plants can store over 1% (dry mass) Se in their tissues, despite the toxicity of this element at high concentrations across eukaryotes. These levels of Se can have widespread effects on the plant's ecological partners, including herbivores and pathogens. Still other partners seem to have coevolved Se tolerance. This is the first known study addressing the rhizosphere mycoflora of Se hyperaccumulators and aims to evaluate the rhizospheric fungal diversity and Se tolerance to further the knowledge of how these organisms interact with their host plants and survive in these extreme habitats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rhizosphere fungi were isolated from Se-hyperaccumulator and nonaccumulator plant species collected from five sites in Colorado and Wyoming; four seleniferous sites and one nonseleniferous site. 259 isolates were identified to genus or species and evaluated for Se tolerance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 24 represented genera, 11 comprised 86% of the isolates. The majority of isolates from the seleniferous sites were unaffected by 10 mg·L(-1) Se, irrespective of host plant (hyperaccumulator vs. nonaccumulator), while rhizosphere fungi from a control, nonseleniferous site were highly sensitive to Se at 10 mg·L(-1) and as a group were significantly less (α = 0.05) tolerant than the isolates from the seleniferous sites.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Even though Se is a commonly used antifungal agent, these results suggest that rhizosphere fungi from seleniferous habitats have widespread Se tolerance, likely an adaptive advantage in their Se-rich habitat.
authors: Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA. awangeli@lccc.wy.edu
authors: Ami L
authors: AL
authors: Wangeline
authors: J Rodolfo
authors: JR
authors: Valdez
authors: Stormy Dawn
authors: SD
authors: Lindblom
authors: Keri L
authors: KL
authors: Bowling
authors: F Brent
authors: FB
authors: Reeves
authors: Elizabeth A H
authors: EA
authors: Pilon-Smits
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D044822:Biodiversity; D003120:Colorado; D017753:Ecosystem; D005658:Fungi / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D010944:Plants / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology*; D058441:Rhizosphere; D012643:Selenium / Q000378:metabolism*; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D014959:Wyoming
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D012643:Selenium