Unveiling an asymmetric plant-fungal symbiosis: morphological, cytogenetic, and molecular characterization of a haploid Epichloë festucae strain associated with three polyploid cytotypes of the Iberian endemic grass Festuca rothmaleri

28 páginas, 5 figuras

Bibliographic Details
Authors: Sotomayor-Alge, Alba, Inda, Luis A., Ángel-Beamonte, Ernesto, Zabalgogeazcoa, Iñigo, Catalán, Pilar
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2025
Country:España
Institution:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repository:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/410006
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/410006
https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/105021984268
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Epichloë
Festuca
Asymmetric symbiosis
Flow cytometry
Fungal endophytes
Morphometrics
Phylogenetics
Polyploidy
Epichloe
morphometrics
phylogenetics
polyploidy
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spelling Unveiling an asymmetric plant-fungal symbiosis: morphological, cytogenetic, and molecular characterization of a haploid Epichloë festucae strain associated with three polyploid cytotypes of the Iberian endemic grass Festuca rothmaleriSotomayor-Alge, AlbaInda, Luis A.Ángel-Beamonte, ErnestoZabalgogeazcoa, IñigoCatalán, PilarEpichloëFestucaAsymmetric symbiosisFlow cytometryFungal endophytesMorphometricsPhylogeneticsPolyploidyEpichloeFestucamorphometricsphylogeneticspolyploidy28 páginas, 5 figurasThe ecological and evolutionary outcomes of plant-fungal interactions are strongly influenced by genome size and ploidy, yet the ploidy level of both partners is rarely assessed simultaneously. Epichloë symbioses with Pooideae grasses are established model systems for exploring these dynamics, but associations between polyploid hosts and haploid endophytes remain poorly documented. In this study, the association of the Iberian endemic Festuca rothmaleri-which includes tetraploid, hexaploid, and octoploid cytotypes-with Epichloë fungal endophytes is documented for the first time. An integrative, method-rich framework combining cytogenetics, morphometrics, and multilocus phylogenetics revealed a strikingly asymmetric interaction, with all cytotypes harboring a single haploid strain of Epichloë festucae. Two methodological innovations were developed: (i) an image-based tool for automated measurement of asexual structures, including the novel metric "conidial area," and (ii) a flow cytometry protocol for estimating fungal genome size. Despite morphological variability, all fungal isolates shared similar genome sizes and formed a well-supported monophyletic lineage in a coalescent species tree based on nuclear loci sequences (actG, CalM, ITS, tefA, tubB). This work provides the first comprehensive characterization of a haploid Epichloë endophyte spanning multiple naturally distributed host ploidy levels and highlights a rare but promising system for future evolutionary, physiological, and ecological studies of plant-fungal interactions.This research was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (grants TED2021-131073B-I00, PDC2022-133712-I00, and PID2022-140074NB-I00) and the Bioflora project of the Government of Aragon and the European Social Fund (grant A01-23R), awarded to PC, LAI, and ASA. Additional support was provided through a predoctoral contract from the Government of Aragon (DGA, Spain) awarded to ASAPeer reviewedPensoft PublishersMinisterio de Ciencia e Innovación (España)Gobierno de AragónSotomayor-Alge, Alba [0000-0003-2317-0873]Inda, Luis A. [0000-0002-1214-375X]Ángel-Beamonte, Ernesto [0009-0002-6714-7106]Zabalgogeazcoa, Iñigo [0000-0002-9524-7799]Catalán, Pilar [0000-0001-7793-5259]Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas [https://ror.org/02gfc7t72]202520252025info:eu-repo/semantics/articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501Publisher's versioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/10261/410006https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/105021984268reponame:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSICinstname:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)Inglés#PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE##PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE#info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/AEI/Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica y Técnica y de Innovación 2021-2023/PDC2022-133712-I00info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/AEI/Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica y Técnica y de Innovación 2021-2023/PID2022-140074NB-I00http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/imafungus.16.162692Síinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:digital.csic.es:10261/4100062026-05-22T06:33:51Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Unveiling an asymmetric plant-fungal symbiosis: morphological, cytogenetic, and molecular characterization of a haploid Epichloë festucae strain associated with three polyploid cytotypes of the Iberian endemic grass Festuca rothmaleri
title Unveiling an asymmetric plant-fungal symbiosis: morphological, cytogenetic, and molecular characterization of a haploid Epichloë festucae strain associated with three polyploid cytotypes of the Iberian endemic grass Festuca rothmaleri
spellingShingle Unveiling an asymmetric plant-fungal symbiosis: morphological, cytogenetic, and molecular characterization of a haploid Epichloë festucae strain associated with three polyploid cytotypes of the Iberian endemic grass Festuca rothmaleri
Sotomayor-Alge, Alba
Epichloë
Festuca
Asymmetric symbiosis
Flow cytometry
Fungal endophytes
Morphometrics
Phylogenetics
Polyploidy
Epichloe
Festuca
morphometrics
phylogenetics
polyploidy
title_short Unveiling an asymmetric plant-fungal symbiosis: morphological, cytogenetic, and molecular characterization of a haploid Epichloë festucae strain associated with three polyploid cytotypes of the Iberian endemic grass Festuca rothmaleri
title_full Unveiling an asymmetric plant-fungal symbiosis: morphological, cytogenetic, and molecular characterization of a haploid Epichloë festucae strain associated with three polyploid cytotypes of the Iberian endemic grass Festuca rothmaleri
title_fullStr Unveiling an asymmetric plant-fungal symbiosis: morphological, cytogenetic, and molecular characterization of a haploid Epichloë festucae strain associated with three polyploid cytotypes of the Iberian endemic grass Festuca rothmaleri
title_full_unstemmed Unveiling an asymmetric plant-fungal symbiosis: morphological, cytogenetic, and molecular characterization of a haploid Epichloë festucae strain associated with three polyploid cytotypes of the Iberian endemic grass Festuca rothmaleri
title_sort Unveiling an asymmetric plant-fungal symbiosis: morphological, cytogenetic, and molecular characterization of a haploid Epichloë festucae strain associated with three polyploid cytotypes of the Iberian endemic grass Festuca rothmaleri
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Sotomayor-Alge, Alba
Inda, Luis A.
Ángel-Beamonte, Ernesto
Zabalgogeazcoa, Iñigo
Catalán, Pilar
author Sotomayor-Alge, Alba
author_facet Sotomayor-Alge, Alba
Inda, Luis A.
Ángel-Beamonte, Ernesto
Zabalgogeazcoa, Iñigo
Catalán, Pilar
author_role author
author2 Inda, Luis A.
Ángel-Beamonte, Ernesto
Zabalgogeazcoa, Iñigo
Catalán, Pilar
author2_role author
author
author
author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (España)
Gobierno de Aragón
Sotomayor-Alge, Alba [0000-0003-2317-0873]
Inda, Luis A. [0000-0002-1214-375X]
Ángel-Beamonte, Ernesto [0009-0002-6714-7106]
Zabalgogeazcoa, Iñigo [0000-0002-9524-7799]
Catalán, Pilar [0000-0001-7793-5259]
Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas [https://ror.org/02gfc7t72]
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Epichloë
Festuca
Asymmetric symbiosis
Flow cytometry
Fungal endophytes
Morphometrics
Phylogenetics
Polyploidy
Epichloe
Festuca
morphometrics
phylogenetics
polyploidy
topic Epichloë
Festuca
Asymmetric symbiosis
Flow cytometry
Fungal endophytes
Morphometrics
Phylogenetics
Polyploidy
Epichloe
Festuca
morphometrics
phylogenetics
polyploidy
description 28 páginas, 5 figuras
publishDate 2025
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2025
2025
2025
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
Publisher's version
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/10261/410006
https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/105021984268
url http://hdl.handle.net/10261/410006
https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/105021984268
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv #PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE#
#PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE#
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/AEI/Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica y Técnica y de Innovación 2021-2023/PDC2022-133712-I00
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/AEI/Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica y Técnica y de Innovación 2021-2023/PID2022-140074NB-I00
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/imafungus.16.162692
Sí
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Pensoft Publishers
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Pensoft Publishers
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
instname:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
instname_str Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
reponame_str DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
collection DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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