AUTHOR=Górzyńska Karolina , Olejniczak Paweł , Węgrzyn Ewa 

TITLE=The fungus Clonostachys epichloë alters the influence of the Epichloë endophyte on seed germination and the biomass of Puccinellia distans grass

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=14

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1146061

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2023.1146061

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p>The fungal grass endophyte <italic>Epichloë typhina</italic> (Pers.) Tul. &amp; C. Tul. (Ascomycota: Clavicipitaceae) grows intercellulary in aerial plant parts and reproduces asexually by invading host seeds. In this phase, it enhances seed production and germination, which accelerates its vertical spread. This relationship may be distorted by other seed-born fungi, whose spread is not so directly dependent on the success of the grass. Recently, the fungus <italic>Clonostachys epichloë</italic> Schroers has been observed on <italic>Puccinellia distans</italic> (Jacq.) Parl seeds originating from grass clumps infested with stromata, sexual structures of <italic>Epichloë typhina</italic> that are formed in spring on some host culms, preventing flower and seed development (‘choke disease’). <italic>C. epichloë</italic> shows mycoparasitic activity toward <italic>Epichloë</italic> stromata by reducing the production of ascospores, which are responsible for horizontal transmission of the fungus. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of seed-borne <italic>C. epichloë</italic> on seed germination, as well as the size and weight of <italic>P. distans</italic> seedlings and to examine whether <italic>C. epichloë</italic> alters the influence of <italic>Epichloë</italic> in the early developmental stages of <italic>P. distans</italic>. The results showed that if <italic>C. epichloë</italic> acts on seeds together with <italic>E. typhina</italic> endophytes, the seeds were negatively affected due to the elimination of the positive effect of the latter in terms of both seed germination rate and seedling length. At the same time, <italic>C. epichloë</italic> increased the proportion of <italic>E. typhina</italic>-untreated germinated seeds. Additionally, only the joint action of the two fungi, <italic>E. typhina</italic> and <italic>C. epichloë,</italic> effectively stimulated seedling dry mass; the presence of <italic>E. typhina</italic> alone was not sufficient to noticeably affect seedling size. Based on the increasing commonality of <italic>C. epichloë</italic> on <italic>Epichloë</italic> stromata, as well as its potential to be used in biocontrol of ‘choke disease’, we should take a closer look at this fungus, not only in terms of its mycoparasitic ability, but also in terms of its cumulative impact on the whole <italic>Epichloë-</italic>grass system.</p>