ISOLATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF ENDOPHYTIC FUNGI ON PLANTS GROWING IN SALT ENVIRONMENTS, USING ITS AND 18S MOLECULAR METHODS

Abstract

Endophytic fungi seem to play particle roles for the survival of plants inhabiting stressful habitats. This study focused on the identification of fungal endophytic community, associated with roots plants growing in salt environments by sequencing ITS and 18S rDNA regions. Based on the culture characteristics and growth morphology of colonies, 6 fungi species obtained from roots were collected from three plots with different salinities (< 4 dS/m, 4 to 8 dS/m and 8 to 16 dS/m). ITS sequences and 18S rDNA gene were compared with those available in the GenBank databases, to identify the following species: Alternaria chlamydospora and Chaetomium coarctatum (salinity < 4dS/m), Alternaria chlamydospora, Embellisia phragmospora, Phoma betae, Fusarium equseti, Chaetomium coarctatum and Fusarium graminearum (4 to 8dS/m); and Chaetomium coarctatum (8 to 16dS/m). Results indicate that Chaetomium coarctatum was considered as the most dominant fungus in studied plots. The fungal root endophytic community in natural vegetation under abiotic salt stress opens up possibilities for further investigations on the role of endophytes.