Abstract Detail

Pteridology

Robertson, Josephine [1], Sundue, Michael A [2], Doyle, Vinson [3], Vasco, Alejandra [4], Matos, Fernando [5].

Phylogenetic Analyses Identify a Novel Clade of Epibiotic Fungi Restricted to Ferns.

Fungi are ubiquitous in their associations with plants as biotrophs, necrotrophs, saprotrophs, mutualists, and commensals. Plant pathogens and mycorrhizal symbionts of seed plants have received significant attention due to the importance of the hosts and the impact of the fungal symbionts. However, fungal relationships with non-seed plants have received less attention. Ferns are known to have extensive relationships with endophytic Mucoromycotina and Glomeromycota, act as hosts to rust fungi, and also harbor a diversity of ascomycetes. However, outside of decay fungi on senescent stems and leaves, relationships between ferns and basidiomycetes are essentially unheard of. We report here the first exception known to us, a resupinate basidiomycete that forms conspicuous long-lived colonies over the leaves of 14 species in the fern genus Elaphoglossum, a prominent epiphytic genus of tropical humid forests. Plants showed no sign of necrosis, thus we consider this to be an epibiotic relationship. Using molecular DNA sequences (nucITS, LSU, mtSSU, RPB1, RPB2, SSU) of 164 fungal species, we identify the fungi as members of the Trechisporales (Agaricomyces), a clade otherwise comprising resupinate and crust forming saprophytes. Our fungi samples form a clade distinct from all other members of the order and require us to coin a new genus. We also reconstruct a host plant phylogeny and reveal that, with a single exception, the fungal relationship occurs primarily within a clade within Elaphoglossum section Setosa. The exception belongs to the fungi growing in E. cuspidatum, a species belonging to Elaphoglossum section Lepidoglossa.

1 - University of Vermont, Plant Biology , 63 Carrigan Drive,, Burlington, VT, 05401, USA
2 - University of Vermont, Department of Plant Biology, 303 Jeffords Hall, Burlington, VT, 05405, United States
3 - Louisiana State University , Plant Pathology and Crop Physiology , 324 Life Sciences Bldg., Baton Rouge, LA, 70803
4 - Botanical Research Institute Of Texas, 1700 University Drive, Fort Worth, TX, 76107, United States
5 - Universidade Federal do Parana, Botany, Curitiba, Brazil

Keywords:
ferns
Elaphoglossum
fungi
basidiomycetes
epibionts.

Presentation Type: Poster
Session: P, Pteridology Posters
Location: Arizona Ballroom/Starr Pass
Date: Monday, July 29th, 2019
Time: 5:30 PM This poster will be presented at 6:15 pm. The Poster Session runs from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm. Posters with odd poster numbers are presented at 5:30 pm, and posters with even poster numbers are presented at 6:15 pm.
Number: PPT002
Abstract ID:775
Candidate for Awards:None