Taxonomic placement of sterile morphotypes of endophytic fungi from Pinus tabulaeformis (Pinaceae) in northeast China based on rDNA sequences

Abstract

In a survey of the endophytic fungi from Pinus tabulaeformis in northeast China, approximately 11% of isolates did not produce spores, although various techniques were employed to promote sporulation. These sterile mycelia were grouped into 74 morphotypes based on similar cultural characters. Arrangement of isolates into morphotypes does not reflect species phylogeny, and therefore they were further identified based on phylogenetic analysis of the 5.8S gene and internal transcribed spacer (ITS1 and ITS2) regions, as well as sequence similarity comparison. Sequence analyses indicated that five morphotypes were Basidiomycota, while the other 69 morphotypes were Ascomycota. Further analyses resulted in two morphotypes being identified as Fusarium sporotrichioides and Schizophyllum commune. Twenty-two morphotypes were identified to generic level, seven to family (Lophiostomataceae and Valsaceae) level, and four to order (Helotiales and Pezizales) level. The 74 morphotypes were classified into 64 taxa, which indicates a high diversity of fungi on Pinus.