Abstract
Mosses harbor fungi whose interactions within their hosts remain largely unexplored. Trophic ranges of fungal endophytes from the moss Dicranum scoparium were hypothesized to encompass saprotrophism. This moss is an ideal host to study fungal trophic lability because of its natural senescence gradient, and because it can be grown axenically. Dicranum scoparium was co-cultured with each of eight endophytic fungi isolated from naturally occurring D. scoparium. Moss growth rates, and gene expression levels (RNA sequencing) of fungi and D. scoparium, were compared between axenic and co-culture treatments. Functional lability of two fungal endophytes was tested by comparing their RNA expression levels when colonizing living vs dead gametophytes. Growth rates of D. scoparium were unchanged, or increased, when in co-culture. One fungal isolate (Hyaloscyphaceae sp.) that promoted moss growth was associated with differential expression of auxin-related genes. When grown with living vs dead gametophytes, Coniochaeta sp. switched from having upregulated carbohydrate transporter activity to upregulated oxidation-based degradation, suggesting an endophytism to saprotrophism transition. However, no such transition was detected for Hyaloscyphaceae sp. Individually, fungal endophytes did not negatively impact growth rates of D. scoparium. Our results support the long-standing hypothesis that some fungal endophytes can switch to saprotrophism.
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Claims 6
Claim · model-written summary
Co-culture left moss growth unchanged or increased it.
- Taxon
- D. scoparium
Dicranum scopariume0 - Treatment
- co-culturee0
- Outcome
- Growth ratese0
- Direction
- unchanged, or increasede0
- Comparator
- axenice1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Growth rates of D. scoparium were unchanged, or increased, when in co-culture.”
e1“between axenic and co-culture treatments”
Claim · model-written summary
Growth promotion by Hyaloscyphaceae sp. was associated with differential auxin-related gene expression.
- Taxon
- Dicranum scopariumDicranum scopariumt0
- Interactor
- Hyaloscyphaceae sp.Hyaloscyphaceaee0symbiont
- Gene
- auxin-related genese0
- Outcome
- differential expression of auxin-related genese0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“One fungal isolate (Hyaloscyphaceae sp.) that promoted moss growth was associated with differential expression of auxin-related genes.”
t0“Dicranum scoparium”
Claim · model-written summary
Coniochaeta sp. shifted from carbohydrate transport activity on living gametophytes to oxidation-based degradation on dead ones.
- Taxon
- Dicranum scopariumDicranum scopariumt0
- Organ / stage
- gametophytese0
- Interactor
- Coniochaeta sp.
Coniochaetae0symbiont - Outcome
- carbohydrate transporter activitye0
- Direction
- switchede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“When grown with living vs dead gametophytes, Coniochaeta sp. switched from having upregulated carbohydrate transporter activity to upregulated oxidation-based degradation”
t0“Dicranum scoparium”
Claim · model-written summary
Hyaloscyphaceae sp. showed no such trophic transition.
- Taxon
- Dicranum scopariumDicranum scopariumt0
- Interactor
- Hyaloscyphaceae sp.Hyaloscyphaceaee0symbiont
- Outcome
- no such transitione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“no such transition was detected for Hyaloscyphaceae sp.”
t0“Dicranum scoparium”
Claim · model-written summary
Individual endophytes did not harm moss growth.
- Taxon
- D. scopariumDicranum scopariume0
- Outcome
- growth ratese0
- Direction
- did not negatively impacte0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Individually, fungal endophytes did not negatively impact growth rates of D. scoparium.”
Claim · model-written summary
Some endophytes can switch to saprotrophism.
- Taxon
- Dicranum scopariumDicranum scopariumt0
- Outcome
- switch to saprotrophisme0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“some fungal endophytes can switch to saprotrophism”
t0“Dicranum scoparium”