Shoot morphology and alkaloid content of Epichloë endophyte–Festuca sinensis associations
Tian Pei A B , Kuang Yu A , Lin Weihu A , Wang Jianjun A and Nan Zhibiao A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems; Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture; College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730020, China.
B Corresponding author. Email: tianp@lzu.edu.cn
Crop and Pasture Science 69(4) 430-438 https://doi.org/10.1071/CP17231
Submitted: 4 July 2017 Accepted: 24 January 2018 Published: 12 April 2018
Abstract
The Chinese native cool-season perennial grass species Festuca sinensis Keng ex E.B.Alexeev exhibits frequent asymptomatic infections with an asexual Epichloë fungal endophyte. Six Festuca sinensis ecotypes were collected in different geographical locations. Endophyte-positive (E+) plants and corresponding endophyte-free (E–) plants of these six ecotypes were identified and then measured for shoot morphological characteristics including plant height, tiller number and biomass. Significant difference due to different host ecotype was observed in both E+ and E– plants. However, significant difference due to endophyte was observed in only one or two ecotypes. Concentration of endophyte-derived alkaloids and semi-quantitative endophyte colonisation in E+ plants were also evaluated. All E+ plants produced both lolitrem B and peramine alkaloids, and significant variation in alkaloid concentration due to host ecotype or endophyte genotype was observed. Analysis of semi-quantitative endophyte colonisation by using qPCR revealed significant differences between ecotypes. This suggested that host ecotype had large impacts whereas the endophyte had only a minor effect. The results showed that endophyte, host ecotype and their complex interaction affected performance of Festuca sinensis ecotypes.
Additional keywords: Chinese native plants, different host ecotypes, impacts, interaction, morphological performance.
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