Fungal Endophytes: Discovering What Lies within Some of Canada’s Oldest and Most Resilient Grapevines
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Published:2024-01-26
Issue:2
Volume:10
Page:105
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ISSN:2309-608X
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Container-title:Journal of Fungi
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language:en
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Short-container-title:JoF
Author:
Ali Shawkat1ORCID, Wright A. Harrison1ORCID, Tanney Joey B.2ORCID, Renaud Justin B.3ORCID, Sumarah Mark W.3ORCID
Affiliation:
1. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Kentville Research and Development Centre, 32 Main St., Kentville, NS B4N 1J5, Canada 2. Natural Resources Canada, Pacific Forestry Centre, 506 Burnside Road West, Victoria, BC V8Z 1M5, Canada 3. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London Research and Development Centre, 1391 Sandford St., London, ON N5V 4T3, Canada
Abstract
Plant diseases and pests reduce crop yields, accounting for global crop losses of 30% to 50%. In conventional agricultural production systems, these losses are typically controlled by applying chemical pesticides. However, public pressure is mounting to curtail agrochemical use. In this context, employing beneficial endophytic microorganisms is an increasingly attractive alternative to the use of conventional chemical pesticides in agriculture. A multitude of fungal endophytes are naturally present in plants, producing enzymes, small peptides, and secondary metabolites due to their bioactivity, which can protect hosts from pathogens, pests, and abiotic stresses. The use of beneficial endophytic microorganisms in agriculture is an increasingly attractive alternative to conventional pesticides. The aim of this study was to characterize fungal endophytes isolated from apparently healthy, feral wine grapes in eastern Canada that have grown without agrochemical inputs for decades. Host plants ranged from unknown seedlings to long-lost cultivars not widely propagated since the 1800s. HPLC-MS was used to identify unique endophyte-derived chemical compounds in the host plants, while dual-culture competition assays showed a range in endophytes’ ability to suppress the mycelial growth of Botrytis, which is typically controlled in viticulture with pesticides. Twelve of the most promising fungal endophytes isolated were identified using multilocus sequencing and morphology, while DNA barcoding was employed to identify some of their host vines. These fungal endophyte isolates, which consisted of both known and putative novel strains, belonged to seven genera in six families and five orders of Ascomycota. Exploring the fungal endophytes in these specimens may yield clues to the vines’ survival and lead to the discovery of novel biocontrol agents.
Funder
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada A-base projects
Subject
Plant Science,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics,Microbiology (medical)
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