| Title | A method of evaluating systemic colonization of leaves by dark septate fungal endophytes in Bouteloua eriopida (Torr.) Torr., a native grass in arid southwestern USA rangelands |
| Publication Type | Conference Paper |
| Year of Publication | 2003 |
| Authors | Aaltonen R.E., Barrow J.R. |
| Conference Name | Fourth International Conference on Mycorrhizae |
| Date Published | August 10-13, 20 |
| Conference Location | Montreal, Canada |
| ARIS Log Number | 148345 |
| Abstract | Dominant native grasses in arid southwestern USA rangelands are more extensively colonized by dark septate endophytic fungi than by conventional mycorrhizal fungi. A method was developed to determine the nature and extent of colonization of leaves of Bouteloua eriopida (Torr.) Torr. Photosynthetically active leaves were scraped with a scalpel to separate tissue layers, dual stained with trypan blue and Sudan IV, placed on a slide and analyzed at 1000X with differential interference microscopy. All leaf cells were colonized and internal fungal morphology was highly variable. Sudan IV stained lipid bodies associated with fungal protoplasts. Nonstained hyaline hyphae were also observed. As leaves became dormant, stained and pigmented hyphae and microsclerotia were increasingly evident. This study reveals the systemic association of dark septate fungi with aboveground tissues of B. eriopida. |
Jornada
Science-based management strategies for sustainability of agriculture and other land uses
