“Caracterización molecular y germinación simbiótica de hongos endófitos de raíces de Cyrtochillum gyriferum y Elleanthus amethystiniodes Garay que se desarrollan en Hedyosmum cumbalense.”

Abstract

symbiotic relation between endophyte microorganisms and orchids provides benefits for seed germination. Cyrtochillum gyriferum y Elleanthus amethystiniodes Garay are species of epiphytic orchids belonging to the Andean forests of Ecuador and have been little studied, so there is no information available on their care and conservation. This situation is worrying about the progressive loss of floristic diversity in Ecuador. In the present study, the molecules of the cultivable endophytic fungi present in the roots of the orchids were isolated and identified. For this, endophytic fungus isolation methods were used. Molecular identification was enhanced by sequencing of the ITS1-ITS4 region amplified by PCR. The products obtained were analyzed by BLAST based on the sequences obtained from the NCBI. In addition, the composition and index of the diversity of the endophytic fungal communities that colonize the roots of epiphytic orchids was determined by electrophoretic separation of the amplicons generated from the ITS1 and ITS4 region in polyacrylamide gels with denaturing gradient (DGGE). Finally, the phyto-stimulating effect of isolated cultivable endophytic fungi in the symbolic germination of seeds of the same orchid species was evaluated. The sequencing results showed that isolated fungi belong to the taxonomic groups: Ascomycota, Meyerozyma guilliermondii, Debaryomyces, Zygomycete, fungal and fungal endophyte. In contrast, the diversity of the endophytic fungal communities found was low in both study species. The symbiotic germination test in Elleanthus amethystiniodes and Cyrtochillum gyriferum showed no stimulating effect in any of the fungal isolates, the positive control in Phytamax medium and even the negative control in oatmeal being significantly higher.