Plant Diversity ›› 2015, Vol. 37 ›› Issue (06): 746-750.DOI: 10.7677/ynzwyj201515045

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New Lineages of Elaphocordyceps Harboring in Lichen Thalli

 JIANG  Dai-Feng-1, ZHAO  Lu-2, GUO  Hong-3, WANG  Hai-Ying-1   

  1. 1 Key Laboratory of Plant Stress Research, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China;
    2 Korean Lichen Research Institute, Sunchon National University, Suncheon 540-742, Korea;
    3 College of Life Science, Hebei University, Shijiazhuang 071002, China
  • Received:2015-03-17 Online:2015-11-25 Published:2015-04-01
  • Supported by:

    国家自然科学基金 (31270059) 及山东省高校科研创新团队项目济南市自然科学基金 (201202024) 资助

Abstract:

All species of Elaphocordyceps parasitize the fungal genus Elaphomyces, except for three species growing on scarabid beetle larvae or cicada nymphs. During our study on the diversity of culturable endolichenic fungi, some Elaphocordyceps species are found widely harboring in lichen thalli. A total of 64 fungal strains belonging to Elaphocordyceps were isolated from 42 lichen samples respectively collected from 5 provinces of China and the Antarctic. Phylogenetic analysis based on ITS nrDNA shows that these endolichenic fungi are possibly heterospecific. The endophytic fungi of plant often provide benefits to their hosts. However, the endolichenic fungi may be parasites or nutrient competitors of the mycobiont, because they have to obtain nutrient components from mycobionts or photobionts. Our study partly proves this hypothesis, since most known species of Elaphocordyceps are parasites of fungi.

Key words: Cordyceps, Endolichenic fungi, Fungal host, ITS

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