Plant roots can be highly colonized by fungal endophytes. This seems to of particular importance for the survival plants inhabiting stressful habitats. study focused on Identification endophytic community associated with quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) growing near salt lakes Atacama Desert, Chile. One hundred fungi were isolated from healthy roots, and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region was sequenced phylogenetic taxonomic analysis. The isolates classified into eleven genera 21 distinct...

Ant-plant interactions represent a diversity of strategies, from exploitative to mutualistic, and how these strategies evolve is poorly understood. Here, we link physiological, ecological, phylogenetic approaches study the evolution coexistence in Acacia-Pseudomyrmex system. Host plant species represented 2 different strategies. High-reward hosts produced significantly more extrafloral nectar (EFN), food bodies, nesting space than low-reward hosts, even when being inhabited by same ant...

Summary Plants in more than 300 genera produce extrafloral nectar (EFN) to attract carnivores as a means of indirect defence against herbivores. As EFN is secreted at nectaries that are not physically protected from the environment, and contains carbohydrates amino acids, must be infestation by micro‐organisms. We investigated proteins anti‐microbial activity two Central American Acacia myrmecophytes ( A. cornigera hindsii ) related non‐myrmecophytes farnesiana Prosopis juliflora ). secrete...

Summary Mutualistic ants are commonly considered as an efficient indirect defence against herbivores. Nevertheless, their protective role plant pathogens has been scarcely investigated. We compared the of two different ant partners, a mutualistic and parasitic ant, on host A cacia hindsii (Fabaceae). The epiphytic bacterial community leaves was evaluated in presence absence both partners by cultivation 454 pyrosequencing 16S rRNA gene. Pathogen‐inflicted leaf damage, abundance...

Abstract Nectars are rich in primary metabolites and attract mutualistic animals, which serve as pollinators or an indirect defense against herbivores. Their chemical composition makes nectars prone to microbial infestation. As protective strategy, floral nectar of ornamental tobacco (Nicotiana langsdorffii × Nicotiana sanderae) contains “nectarins,” proteins producing reactive oxygen species such hydrogen peroxide. By contrast, pathogenesis-related (PR) were detected Acacia extrafloral...

Extrafloral nectar (EFN) plays an important role as plant indirect defence through the attraction of defending ants. Like all rewards produced in context a mutualism, however, EFN is danger being exploited by non-ant consumers that do not defend against herbivores. Here we asked whether plants, investing more EFN, can improve their defence, or rather increase risk losing this investment to thieves. We used obligate plant-ant Acacia-Pseudomyrmex system and examined experimentally field during...

Abstract Fungal endophytes colonize living internal plant tissues without causing any visible symptoms of disease. Endophytic fungi associated with healthy leaves may play an important role in the protection hosts against herbivores and pathogens. In this study, diversity foliar endophytic (FEF) southern temperate tree Embothrium coccineum (Proteaceae), as well their nature was determined. were isolated from 40 asymptomatic by culture method for molecular identification 18S rRNA gene. A...

Abstract Despite the ubiquitous presence of fungal endophytes in woody plants, mechanisms underlying variation foliar endophyte communities are poorly understood. Given that plants predominantly horizontally transmitted, colonization tissues is likely to be influenced by plant resistance traits. Here, we evaluated association between leaf traits and community composition transmitted (HTE) 10 dominant trees species a temperate rainforest Southern Chile. Because might restrict HTE, it was...

Drought during senescence has become more common in Mediterranean climates recent years. Chenopodium quinoa Willd been identified as tolerant to poor soil conditions and drought. Previous observations have found that sufficient nitrogen (N) supply mitigates yield losses under terminal drought conditions. However, there is no understanding of the mechanisms behind this effect. We hypothesized N up-regulates both photosynthetic photoprotective elements drought-induced senescence, alleviating...

Symbiotic associations with microbes can contribute to mitigating abiotic environmental stress in plants. In this study, we investigated individual and interactive effects of two root endophytic fungal species on physiological biochemical mechanisms the crop Chenopodium quinoa response salinity. Fungal endophytes (FE) Talaromyces minioluteus Penicillium murcianum , isolated from plants that occur naturally Atacama Desert, were used for endophyte inoculation. A greenhouse experiment was...

Abstract Plant resistance includes mechanical and chemical defenses that reduce herbivory, whereas plant tolerance reduces the fitness impact of herbivory. Because are costly investing in both may be superfluous, trade‐offs among them expected. In forest ecosystems, strengthening leaves is linked to shade adaptation antiherbivore defenses, but it also compromises resource uptake, therefore limiting regrowth following damage, suggesting a trade‐off between tolerance. We tested for...

One of the major impacts climate change is increasing global temperatures. Because warming expected to affect plant morphological and chemical traits, it may therefore also influence interactions with other trophic levels, including herbivores. Here, we simulated a scenario +2.7°C in field using open-top chambers assessed effects on performance (growth, leaf area, chlorophyll), nutrients (nitrogen carbon), primary (amino acids carbohydrates) secondary (toxic aristolochic acids) metabolites...

1 Associational resistance occurs when one plant species gains protection from its consumers by association with a defended species. In semi-arid ecosystems of Chile, the perennial herb Convolvulus chilensis (Convolvulaceae) suffers heavy herbivory small mammals growing prostrate but plants seem to be protected they are climbing onto cacti or thorny shrubs (nurse species). 2 Field observations suggest that damaged main stems have greater number lateral stems, which greatly enhance success....

Abstract Fungal endophytes (FE) are an important component of leaf microbial communities. They usually live asymptomatically within tissues; however, FE can provide additional defensive features against pathogens to the host. Leaf functional traits (LFTs) regulate entry, colonization and community composition in plants. There is evidence that thin leaves with less structural chemical but high nutrient content more prone than well‐defended thick leaves. This illustrates relevance trade‐offs...

Abstract Global climate change exacerbates abiotic stresses, as drought, heat, and salt stresses are anticipated to increase significantly in the coming years. Plants coexist with a diverse range of microorganisms. Multiple inter-organismic relationships known confer benefits plants, including growth promotion enhanced tolerance stresses. In this study, we investigated mutualistic interactions between three fungal endophytes originally isolated from distinct arid environments an...

Six aristolochic acids were identified in the Chilean species Aristolochia chilensis using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to a diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) and subsequent confirmation with mass spectrometry (MS). The fractions of each signal collected injected directly into an Orbitrap model Q Exactive Focus (Thermo Scientific). extraction was done 0.10-0.50 g lyophilized pulverized sample concentrated Soxhlet equipment. liquid-liquid separations solid phase (SPE) C18...

The beetle Hylastinus obscurus Marsham (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), endemic to Europe and Northern Africa, is one of the most important red clover pests in Chile. As commercial insecticides are less effective against this pest, plant secondary metabolites have been considered as an alternative for its control. Here, we investigated chemical composition essential oil (EO), petroleum ether extract (PEE), dichloromethane (DCME) from Pilgerodendron uviferum heartwood. Additionally, effects EO...