Fungal Communities in the Native New Zealand Medicinal Plant Pseudowintera colorata (Horopito) Are Determined by Plant Organ Type and Host Maturity with Key Members Promoting Plant Growth.

ABSTRACT: The plant Pseudowintera colorata is well known for its antimicrobial and medicinal properties and is endemic to New Zealand. Using PCR-Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), we investigated the factors influencing the composition of endophytic fungal communities in P. colorata from ten distinct sites across New Zealand. Our results showed that plant organs of P. colorata influenced the diversity and richness of endophytic fungi (PERMANOVA, p < 0.05). In addition, plant maturity and its interactions revealed that endophytic fungal communities formed discrete clusters in leaves, stems, and roots of mature and immature P. colorata plants (PERMANOVA; p = 0.002, p = 0.001 and p = 0.039, respectively). For identifying isolates with

SUBMITTER: Purushotham N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8709005 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature