Seed Transmission of Epichloe Endophytes in Lolium perenne Is Heavily Influenced by Host Genetics.

ABSTRACT: Vertical transmission of symbiotic Epichloë endophytes from host grasses into progeny seed is the primary mechanism by which the next generation of plants is colonized. This process is often imperfect, resulting in endophyte-free seedlings which may have poor ecological fitness if the endophyte confers protective benefits to its host. In this study, we investigated the influence of host genetics and environment on the vertical transmission of Epichloë festucae var. lolii strain AR37 in the temperate forage grass Lolium perenne. The efficiency of AR37 transmission into the seed of over 500 plant genotypes from five genetically diverse breeding populations was determined. In Populations I-III, which had undergone previous selection for high seed infection by AR37,

SUBMITTER: Gagic M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6242978 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature