Abstract
Piriformospora indica (Sebacinaceae, Basidiomycota) is an axenically cultivable, plant growth promoting
root endophyte with a wide host range, including Populus. Rooting of Populus Esch5 explants started within 6 days after transfer to WPM medium. If such plantlets
with roots were inoculated with P. indica, there was an increase in root biomass, and the number of 2nd order roots was increased
significantly. A totally different observation was recorded when the explants were
placed into WPM with pre-grown P. indica. The interaction led to complete blocking of root production and severely inhibited
plant growth. Additionally, branched aerial roots appeared which did not penetrate
the medium. On contact with the fungal colony or the medium, the ends of the aerial
roots became inflated. Prolonged incubation stimulated the fungus to colonize aerial
parts of the plant (stem and leaves). Mycelium not only spread on the surface of the
aerial parts, but also invaded the cortical tissues inter- and intracellularly. Detached
Populus leaves remained vital for 4 - 5 weeks on sterile agar media or on AspM medium with
pre-grown P. indica. When the fungus was pre-grown on culture media such as WPM, containing ammonium as
the main source of nitrogen, leaves in contact with the cultures turned brownish within
4 - 12 h. Thereafter, the leaves bleached, and about one day later had become whitish.
Thus, cultural conditions could alter the behaviour of the fungus drastically: the
outcome of the interaction between plant and fungus can be directed from mutualistic
to antagonistic, characterized by fungal toxin formation and extension of the colonization
to Populus shoots.
Key words
Piriformospora indica
-
Populus Esch5 - mutualism - antagonism - rooting pattern - woody plant medium (WPM) - Sebacinaceae
- Basidiomycota
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K.-H. Rexer
Fachbereich Biologie
Spezielle Botanik und Mykologie
Philipps-Universität Marburg
Karl-von-Frisch-Straße 8
32032 Marburg
Germany
Email: rexer@staff.uni-marburg.de
Editor: J. Cullimore