Fungal endophyte (Epichloe festucae) alters the nutrient content of Festuca rubra regardless of water availability.

ABSTRACT: Festuca rubra plants maintain associations with the vertically transmitted fungal endophyte Epichloë festucae. A high prevalence of infected host plants in semiarid grasslands suggests that this association could be mutualistic. We investigated if the Epichloë-endophyte affects the growth and nutrient content of F. rubra plants subjected to drought. Endophyte-infected (E+) and non-infected (E-) plants of two half-sib lines (PEN and RAB) were subjected to three water availability treatments. Shoot and root biomass, nutrient content, proline, phenolic compounds and fungal alkaloids were measured after the treatments. The effect of the endophyte on shoot and root biomass and dead leaves depended on the plant line. In the PEN line, E+ plants had a greater S:R ratio than E-, but the opposite oc

SUBMITTER: Vazquez-de-Aldana BR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3867530 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature