title: Root endophytic fungal communities associated with pitch pine, switchgrass, and rosette grass in the pine barrens ecosystem.
abstract: Almost all plants in nature harbour fungi in their roots but the knowledge on distribution and the underlying principles of assemblage is still poorly developed for the root-associated fungi. In this study we analysed the root endophytic fungal communities associated with switchgrass, rosette grass, and pitch pine in the acidic, oligotrophic pine barrens ecosystem. A total of 434 fungal isolates were obtained from 600 root segments of 60 plant samples. DNA barcoding and morphological analyses identified 92 fungal species, which belong to 39 genera in six classes. Compared to other ecosystems, the pine barrens has a higher proportion of Leotiomycetes. The fungal community associated with pitch pine was significantly different from those associated with the grasses, while less difference was found between those associated with the two grasses. Our results suggest that edaphic factors and host specificity play a role in shaping root endophytic fungal community. This study also corroborates our previous finding that plant roots in the pine barrens are a rich reservoir of novel fungi.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Biology, 201 Foran Hall, 59 Dudley Road, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Biology, 201 Foran Hall, 59 Dudley Road, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA.
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Biology, 201 Foran Hall, 59 Dudley Road, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Biology, 201 Foran Hall, 59 Dudley Road, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Blystone
authors.affiliation: Rutgers Pinelands Field Station, DEENR, SEBS and Biology, Camden, PO Box 206, 501 Four Mile Road, New Lisbon, NJ 08064, USA.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dighton
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Biology, 201 Foran Hall, 59 Dudley Road, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, 76 Lipman Drive, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA. Electronic address: zhang@aesop.rutgers.edu.
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D058448:Biota; D058893:DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic; D060026:Endophytes / Q000145:classification* / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010802:Phylogeny; D028223:Pinus / Q000382:microbiology*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000382:microbiology*; D006109:Poaceae / Q000382:microbiology*
keywords: Endophytes; Fungal ecology; Host specificity; New Jersey Pine Barrens; Root-associated fungi