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Epichloid endophytes confer resistance to the smut Ustilago bullata in the wild grass Bromus auleticus (Trin.)

[Display omitted] •Some grasses are usually co-infected by smut fungi and mutualist epichloid endophytes.•Endophytes are transmitted via seeds and smut fungi replace the seeds with teliospores.•The endophyte and the smut fungus compete in a race for the colonization of the ovary.•The effect of Neoty...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biological control 2013-10, Vol.67 (1), p.1-7
Main Authors: Vignale, M.V., Astiz-Gassó, M.M., Novas, M.V., Iannone, L.J.
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:[Display omitted] •Some grasses are usually co-infected by smut fungi and mutualist epichloid endophytes.•Endophytes are transmitted via seeds and smut fungi replace the seeds with teliospores.•The endophyte and the smut fungus compete in a race for the colonization of the ovary.•The effect of Neotyphodium spp. against head smut of grasses was evaluated.•Disease incidence was diminished in endophyte-infected Bromus auleticus plants. In this work it was studied for the first time whether asexual Epichloë (Neotyphodium) endophytes of Bromus auleticus, protect their host plants against the pathogenic fungus Ustilago bullata. Seeds of two different ecotypes of B. auleticus, one of them infected with the endophyte Neotyphodium pampeanum (NpE+) and the other infected with the endophyte Neotyphodium tembladerae (NtE+) and their respectively endophyte-free (NpE−/NtE−) counterparts were used. Seeds of each ecotype and endophytic status were superficially disinfected and were randomly assigned to different treatments named: S+ (smut fungus inoculated) and S− (mock-inoculated). It was evaluated the effect of U. bullata infection on plant characteristics in every stage of their life cycle: seedling emergence, vegetative growth, mortality and smut symptoms in the florets. In NtE+ infected plants, smut disease was almost completely suppressed, whereas in their endophyte-free counterparts (NpE−) the incidence of smut symptoms reached 64%. In NpE+ infected plants smut incidence was significantly lower (7%) than in endophyte-free plants (39%). Although U. bullata infection decreased the emergence rate of both endophyte-infected and endophyte-free plants, neutral or protective effects of the endophytes were observed in seedling development and survival. The survival during the first year of NtE+ plants was higher than in their NtE− counterparts. These results indicate a strong beneficial effect of vertically transmitted endophytes against this pathogen.
ISSN:1049-9644
1090-2112
DOI:10.1016/j.biocontrol.2013.06.002