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Diversity of endophytic fungi associated with bryophyte in the maritime Antarctic (King George Island)

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Abstract

Bryophytes comprise one of the richest microfungal microhabitats in the Antarctic environment. The maritime Antarctic is very vulnerable to rapid environmental change caused by global warming. The aim of this study was to investigate the importance of bryophytes as a microhabitat for fungal species in the maritime Antarctic by surveying endophytic fungal diversity from several bryophytes including Andreaea sp., Barbilophozia hatcheri, Chorisodontium aciphyllum, Polytrichum alpinum, Polytrichum strictum, Sanionia uncinata, and Warnstorfia sarmentosa. We collected 13 bryophyte samples at four localities on Barton Peninsula, King George Island. In total, 31 endophytic fungi morphotypes were isolated from bryophyte tissues by a thorough surface sterilization method. Using internal transcribed spacer sequence analysis, 16 endophytic fungal strains belonging to Ascomycota (12), Basidiomycota (1), Oomycota (1), and Zygomycota (2) phyla were obtained. Our results suggest the presence of a diverse range of fungal species even in a very limited area, and those bryophytes play an important role in conserving fungal diversity in this harsh environment. Growth rate measurements at a wide range of temperatures confirmed that most of the fungal strains were both mesophilic and psychrotolerant. This is the first report of endophytic fungi in Antarctic moss tissue by fluorescence in situ hybridization.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants from the Korea National Research Resource Center Program and the Korean Polar Research Institute (KOPRI, PE13030).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Sunchon National University, Sunchon, 540-950, Korea

    Nan Hee Yu, Min-Hye Jeong & Jae Sung Jung

  2. Korean Lichen Research Institute, Sunchon National University, Sunchon, 540-950, Korea

    Jung A Kim, Yong Hwa Cheong, Young Jin Koh & Jae-Seoun Hur

  3. Division of Polar Life Sciences, Korea Polar Research Institute, KORDI, Inchon, 406-840, Korea

    Soon Gyu Hong

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  1. Nan Hee Yu
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  2. Jung A Kim
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Correspondence to Jae-Seoun Hur.

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Yu, N.H., Kim, J., Jeong, MH. et al. Diversity of endophytic fungi associated with bryophyte in the maritime Antarctic (King George Island). Polar Biol 37, 27–36 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-013-1406-5

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