A closer look at endophytic fungi of Plantago lanceolata
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Date
2025-05
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The Ohio State University
Abstract
Endophytes are an active area of research, particularly for their ability to aid plant hosts in tolerating a variety of stressors. Plantago lanceolata, a widespread medicinal forb, is host to a diverse range of fungal endophytes. This study assesses a collection of heat and drought tolerant P. lanceolata for their fungal diversity, and feasibility of producing axenic somatic clones from their progeny. Recovered endogenous fungi were phylogenetically diverse, with two strains belonging to distinct lineages of Pyronemataceae. One of these two strains, which was revealed to have a heightened heat tolerance, was the subject of genome sequencing and analyses to better understand its adaptive capacity and ecology. Its heat tolerance, along with a highly expanded repertoire of glucooligosaccharide oxidase (AA7) enzymes – a poorly understood gene family in fungi – this strain represents opportunity for future research to gain insights into how cryptic fungal species might be helping plants thrive in harsh conditions. Identifying these relationships and their bioactive components could have implications in agricultural resilience in a changing climate.
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Keywords
Endophytes, Fungal diversity, Genomics, Phylogenetics, Pyronemataceae, Plant stress tolerance