30. Host-parasite Correlation of Fungal Endophytes Isolated from Beech and Beech Drops

Abstract

Fungal endophytes are well documented in a great number of angiosperms. They are often found to be helpful to plants that are facing environmental stress. They may produce secondary metabolites that provide their host a better stress tolerance. This is especially true of plants in harsh environments and those that employ non-traditional life strategies. Very little research has been done on their presence in holoparasites such as Epifagus virginiana. The unique stress that is undergone by holoparasites, due to their lack of chlorophyll and reliance on a host plant for survival, is an excellent place to investigate the role of endophytes in their survival. Beech drops, a commonly occurring parasite of the American beech tree, are an excellent model to examine the role endophytes are playing in the survival of holoparasites. We wish to examine whether there is a significant overlap in the fungal endophytes found in Fagus grandifolia (the host plant of E. virginiana), and the fungal endophytes present in the beech drops themselves. If this is the case, it would suggest that the endophytes are playing a role in the inhibition of immune response of their hosts.