title: Effects of Water Stress on the Endophytic Fungal Communities of Pinus koraiensis Needles Infected by Cenangium ferruginosum.
abstract: To examine the effects of water stress and Cenangium ferruginosum (CF) on the fungal endophytic community of needles of Pinus koraiensis (PK), fungal endophytes isolated from the needles of 5-year-old PK seedlings were compared before and after exposure to water stress conditions and artificial inoculation with CF ascospores. Artificial CF inoculation was successfully confirmed using PCR with CF-specific primers (CfF and CfR). For comparison of the degree of water deficit in water-stressed and control groups of PK seedlings infected with CF, the water saturation deficit and water potential were measured. Lower water potential estimates were found in the water-stressed seedlings than in the control group. The fungal endophytes isolated from the second-year needles of non-water-stressed seedlings before and after CF inoculation revealed that primary saprobes were approximately 30% and 71.7%, respectively, and the remaining endophytes were rot fungi or pathogens. Sixty days after CF inoculation, diverse fungal endophytes in the first-year needles were isolated from the water-stressed seedlings. However, some fungal endophytes isolated from the non-water-stressed seedlings were also identified. Fungal endophytes in the second-year needles of the water-stressed and non-water-stressed seedlings were approximately 8% and 71.7% of saprobes, respectively, and the remaining endophytes were rot fungi or pathogens. On the basis of the results, we conclude that water deficit and CF can have an effect on fungal endophytic communities in the needles of PK seedlings.
authors.affiliation: Division of Forest Insect Pest and Diseases, Korea Forest Research Institute, Seoul 130-712, Korea.
authors.forename: Sun Keun
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Division of Forest Insect Pest and Diseases, Korea Forest Research Institute, Seoul 130-712, Korea.
authors.forename: Seung Kyu
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: School of Biotechnology, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 712-749, Korea.
authors.forename: Hanhong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.affiliation: Division of Forest Insect Pest and Diseases, Korea Forest Research Institute, Seoul 130-712, Korea.
authors.forename: Sang-Tae
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.affiliation: Tree Pathology and Mycology Lab, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701, Korea.
authors.forename: Jong Kyu
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Lee
keywords: Cenangium ferruginosum; Fungal endophytic community; Pinus koriensis; Water stress