Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 11, 2026

Establishing Fungal Entomopathogens as Endophytes: Towards Endophytic Biological Control
Published on: April 11, 2013
Root endophytic fungal communities associated with pitch pine, switchgrass, and rosette grass in the pine barrens
Jing Luo1, Emily Walsh1, Stephen Miller1
1Department of Plant Biology, 201 Foran Hall, 59 Dudley Road, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA.
Abstract:
Almost all plants in nature harbour fungi in their roots but the knowledge on distribution and the underlying principles of assemblage is still poorly developed for the root-associated fungi. In this study we analysed the root endophytic fungal communities associated with switchgrass, rosette grass, and pitch pine in the acidic, oligotrophic pine barrens ecosystem. A total of 434 fungal isolates were obtained from 600 root segments of 60 plant samples. DNA barcoding and morphological analyses identified 92 fungal species, which belong to 39 genera in six classes. Compared to other ecosystems, the pine barrens has a higher proportion of Leotiomycetes. The fungal community associated with pitch pine was significantly different from those associated with the grasses, while less difference was found between those associated with the two grasses. Our results suggest that edaphic factors and host specificity play a role in shaping root endophytic fungal community. This study also corroborates our previous finding that plant roots in the pine barrens are a rich reservoir of novel fungi.
More Related Videos
10:31Isolation and Analysis of Microbial Communities in Soil, Rhizosphere, and Roots in Perennial Grass Experiments
Published on: July 24, 2018
12:05A Workflow for the Quantitative Assessment of the Endophytic and Epiphytic Bacterial Microbiomes of the Bark of Populus trichocarpa
Published on: June 27, 2025
Related Concept Videos
The Roles of Bacteria and Fungi in Plant Nutrition
Epiphytes, Parasites, and Carnivores
Fungal Group Zygomycota
Microbial Interactions: Mutualism
Microbe-Plant Interactions