Diaporthe species associated with the maritime grass Festuca rubra subsp. pruinosa

Symbiotic fungi from a wild grass (Celtica gigantea) increase the growth, grain yield and quality of tritordeum under field conditions

Plants function in symbiosis with numerous microorganisms, which might contribute to their adaptation and performance. In this study, we tested whether fungal strains in symbiotic interaction with roots of Celtica gigantea, a wild grass adapted to nutrient-poor soils in semiarid habitats, could improve the field performance of the agricultural cereal tritordeum (Triticum durum × Hordeum chilense). Seedlings of tritordeum were inoculated with 12 different fungal strains isolated from roots of Celtica gigantea that were first proved to promote the growth of tritordeum plants under greenhouse conditions. The inoculated seedlings were transplanted to field plots at two locations belonging to different climatic zones in terms of mean temperatures and precipitation in the Iberian Peninsula. Only one strain, Diaporthe iberica T6, had a significant effect on plant height, number of tillers and grain yield in one location. This result showed a substantial divergence between the results of greenhouse and field tests. In terms of grain nutritional quality, several parameters were differentially affected at both locations: Diaporthe T6, Pleosporales T7, Zygomycota T29 and Zygomycota T80 increased the content of total carotenoids, mainly lutein, in the colder location; whereas gluten proteins increased with several treatments in the warmer location. In conclusion, early inoculation of tritordeum plants with fungal symbionts had substantial beneficial effects on subsequent plant growth and development in the field. Regarding grain nutritional quality, the effect of inoculation was affected by the agroclimatic differences between both field locations.

Four new endophytic species of Diaporthe (Diaporthaceae, Diaporthales) isolated from Cameroon

The genus Diaporthe (Diaporthaceae, Diaporthales) is a large group of fungi frequently reported as phytopathogens, with ubiquitous distribution across the globe. Diaporthe have traditionally been characterized by the morphology of their ana- and teleomorphic state, revealing a high degree of heterogeneity as soon as DNA sequencing was utilized across the different members of the group. Their relevance for biotechnology and agriculture attracts the attention of taxonomists and natural product chemists alike in context of plant protection and exploitation for their potential to produce bioactive secondary metabolites. While more than 1000 species are described to date, Africa, as a natural habitat, has so far been under-sampled. Several endophytic fungi belonging to Diaporthe were isolated from different plant hosts in Cameroon over the course of this study. Phylogenetic analyses based on DNA sequence data of the internal transcribed spacer region and intervening 5.8S nrRNA gene, and partial fragments of the calmodulin, beta-tubulin, histone and the translation elongation factor 1-α genes, demonstrated that these isolates represent four new species, i.e. D.brideliae, D.cameroonensis, D.pseudoanacardii and D.rauvolfiae. Moreover, the description of D.isoberliniae is here emended, now incorporating the morphology of beta and gamma conidia produced by two of our endophytic isolates, which had never been documented in previous records. Moreover, the paraphyletic nature of the genus is discussed and suggestions are made for future revision of the genus.

Diaporthe atlantica enhances tomato drought tolerance by improving photosynthesis, nutrient uptake and enzymatic antioxidant response

Functional symbiosis with fungal endophytes can help plants adapt to environmental stress. Diaporthe atlantica is one of the most abundant fungal taxa associated with roots of Festuca rubra subsp. pruinosa, a grass growing in sea cliffs. This study aimed to investigate the ability of a strain of this fungus to ameliorate the impact of drought stress on tomato plants. In a greenhouse experiment, tomato plants were inoculated with Diaporthe atlantica strain EB4 and exposed to two alternative water regimes: well-watered and drought stress. Several physiological and biochemical plant parameters were evaluated. Inoculation with Diaporthe promoted plant growth in both water treatments. A significant interactive effect of Diaporthe-inoculation and water-regime showed that symbiotic plants had higher photosynthetic capacity, water-use efficiency, nutrient uptake (N, P, K, Fe and Zn), and proline content under drought stress, but not under well-watered conditions. In addition, Diaporthe improved the enzymatic antioxidant response of plants under drought, through an induced mechanism, in which catalase activity was modulated and conferred protection against reactive oxygen species generation during stress. The results support that Diaporthe atlantica plays a positive role in the modulation of tomato plant responses to drought stress by combining various processes such as improving photosynthetic capacity, nutrient uptake, enzymatic antioxidant response and osmo-protectant accumulation. Thus, drought stress in tomato can be enhanced with symbiotic fungi.