Fungal diversity in adult date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) revealed by culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches.

ABSTRACT: Endophytic flora plays a vital role in the colonization and survival of host plants, especially in harsh environments, such as arid regions. This flora may, however, contain pathogenic species responsible for various troublesome host diseases. The present study is aimed at investigating the diversity of both cultivable and non-cultivable endophytic fungal floras in the internal tissues (roots and leaves) of Tunisian date palm trees (Phoenix dactylifera). Accordingly, 13 isolates from both root and leaf samples, exhibiting distinct colony morphology, were selected from potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium and identified by a sequence match search wherein their 18S-28S internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences were compared to those available in public databases. These findings revealed that

SUBMITTER: Ben Chobba I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3863367 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature