Diversity of endophytic fungal  community associated with Piper hispidum (Piperaceae) leaves.
Tropical  and subtropical plants are rich in endophytic community diversity. Endophytes,  mainly fungi and bacteria, inhabit the healthy plant tissues without causing  any damage to the hosts. These fungi can be useful for biological control of  pathogens and plant growth promotion. Some plants of the genus Piper are  hosts of endophytic microorganisms; however, there is little information about  endophytes on Piper hispidum, a medicinal shrub used as an insecticide,  astringent, diuretic, stimulant, liver treatment, and for stopping hemorrhages.  We isolated the fungal endophyte community associated with P. hispidum leaves  from plants in a Brazilian forest remnant. The endophytic diversity was  examined based on sequencing of the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region of rDNA. A high  colonization frequency was obtained, as expected for tropical angiosperms.  Isolated endophytes were divided into 66 morphogroups, demonstrating  considerable diversity. We identified 21 isolates, belonging to 11 genera (Alternaria, Bipolaris, Colletotrichum, Glomerella, Guignardia, Lasiodiplodia, Marasmius, Phlebia, Phoma, Phomopsis, and Schizophyllum);  one isolate was identified only to the order level (Diaporthales). Bipolaris was the most frequent genus among the identified endophytes. Phylogenetic  analysis confirmed the molecular identification of some isolates to genus level  while for others it was confirmed at the species level.
Departamento de Biologia Celular e Genética, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Maringá, PR, Brasil.
R C
RC
Orlandelli
R N
RN
Alberto
C J
CJ
Rubin Filho
J A
JA
Pamphile
D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D005658:Fungi / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D026321:Piperaceae / Q000382:microbiology*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000382:microbiology*
D004271:DNA, Fungal; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal