Endophytic assemblage in Strychnous nuxvomica L. and antagonistic activities in vitro

Abstract

Microbial endophytes were isolated from surface sterilised leaf segments of Strychnous nuxvomica L. from forest areas of Malnad region, Southern India. A total of 1271 endophytic isolates belonging to 23 different fungal species and two Pseudomonas species from a total of 1800 segments incubated in two seasons were examined at three sites. Fungi recovered belonged to ascomycetes, coelomycetes and hyphomycetes and mycelia sterilia. Pseudomonas pseudomallei strain YL-1, a Gram-negative rod-shaped bacteria was isolated as dominant endophyte from surface sterilised tissues. Dual culture studies revealed that P. pseudomallei have the potentiality to control some pathogenic fungi in vitro.

Keywords:

• Endophytes
• season
• colonisation
• antagonism
• dual culture

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to University Grants Commission of India for granting fellowship to B. Shankar Naik. We also thank scientists of IMTECH, Chandigarh, India, for their help in the identification of bacteria, and to the Chairman, Department of Applied Botany, Kuvempu University for providing lab facilities.