Diversity and ecological roles of endophytic fungi in desert phreatophytes

Fungal symbionts in plant roots and leaves drive ecosystem functionality by enhancing nutrient acquisition for plants and influencing plant biomass and productivity. Therefore, investigating variations in fungal communities across roots and leaves, as well as identifying the drivers of these variations, is crucial for understanding biological, abiotic factors, and microbial interactions. We utilized high-throughput Illumina HiSeq sequencing to characterize the structural and functional diversity of leaf and root endosphere (RE) fungal microbiota associated with Alhagi sparsifolia across three arid regions (Taklimakan [Cele], Gurbantünggüt [Mosuowan], and Kumtag [Turpan]) in northwest China's Xinjiang province. Our study found that the relative abundance of Ascomycota within the RE was much higher than that observed in the leaf endosphere (LE). Basidiomycota and Ascomycota were dominant in the RE. However, the niche width and multi-functionality of LE fungi were significantly lower than those of RE fungi. The number of edges, nodes, and the average degree of LE fungi were lower than those of RE across different regions and interannual variations. In Turpan, the edges, nodes, and average degree of LE fungi were higher compared to the other two sampling sites (Cele and Mosuowan), whereas RE fungi exhibited the opposite trend. Redundancy analysis and hierarchical partitioning results showed that precipitation, temperature, and root total phosphorus were the main common factors that significantly affected the variation in the composition of leaf and RE fungal community (P < 0.05). Interestingly, total potassium content in leaves, roots, and soil was found to correlate with the diversity of fungi in both the leaf and RE. This research enhances our comprehension of the ecological significance of endophytic fungi in desert plants and highlights the need for further research on the symbiotic interactions that underpin the survival and adaptation of plants in harsh environments.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-026-04743-w.