Mutualism between Dark Septate Endophytes (DSEs) and their host plants under metal stress: a case study

Figures & data

Figure 1. Colonization intensity of E. pisciphila H93 in maize roots under Zn₀ and Zn₅₅₀ supplementation after 15 days’ culture. Data represent means ± SE (n = 4), * indicates a significant difference between the two treatments (* p < 0.05, t-test).

Figure 2. Zn concentration in the shoots and roots of maize inoculated with (+DSE) or without (−DSE) E. pisciphila H93 under Zn₀ and Zn₅₅₀ treatments. Data represent means ± SE (n = 4), (* p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001, t-test).

Table 1. The proportion of Zn in different subcellular fractions of maize shoots and roots with (+DSE) or without (−DSE) H93 inoculation, under Zn₀ and Zn₅₅₀ supplementation after 15 days’ culture.

	Zn proportion in maize subcellular fractions (%)
Treatments	Cell Wall	Cell Organelle	Soluble fraction
Shoots
Zn0−DSE	44.2 ± 0.04a	10.1 ± 0.01a	45.8 ± 0.04a
Zn0+DSE	37.2 ± 0.05a	14.1 ± 0.04a	48.7 ± 0.05a
Zn550−DSE	45.9 ± 0.01a	6.4 ± 0.01b	47.8 ± 0.01a
Zn550+DSE	41.4 ± 0.01a*	6.1 ± 0.02a	52.5 ± 0.01a*
Roots
Zn0−DSE	47.7 ± 0.08a	6.5 ± 0.01a	45.8 ± 0.08a
Zn0+DSE	27.3 ± 0.04a	14.4 ± 0.02a**	58.3 ± 0.03a
Zn550−DSE	31.3 ± 0.01a	8.3 ± 0.02a	60.4 ± 0.02a
Zn550+DSE	34.3 ± 0.03a	6.9 ± 0.00b	58.8 ± 0.03a

Notes: Data represent means ± SE (n = 4); different lowercase letters in a root or shoot column indicate a significant difference between two Zn concentrations in the same fungal inoculation treatment. Asterisks indicate a significant difference between the H93-inoculated treatments and the non-inoculated controls under the same Zn supplementation (* p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01).

Figure 3. Zn concentration in H93 mycelia both in vitro and co-cultured with maize under Zn₀ and Zn₅₅₀ conditions after 15-days’ growth. Data represent means ± SE, (n = 4) (* p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, t-test).

Table 2. Zn proportion in subcellular fractions of H93 mycelium both in vitro and in co-cultured with maize under Zn₀ and Zn₅₅₀ conditions.

	Zn proportion in subcellular fractions of mycelium (%)
Treatments	cell wall	cell organelle	soluble fraction
co-culture
Zn0	38.64 ± 0.013a	14.65 ± 0.013a	46.71 ± 0.024b
Zn550	34.93 ± 0.016a	7.13 ± 0.012b	57.94 ± 0.020a
In vitro
Zn0	27.95 ± 0.016a**	10.14 ± 0.010a*	61.91 ± 0.023b**
Zn550	21.44 ± 0.011b***	8.72 ± 0.013a	69.84 ± 0.010a**

Notes: Data represent means ± SE, (n = 4); different lowercase letters in the same column indicate a significant difference between Zn₀ and Zn₅₅₀ supplementation in the same culture condition (co-cultured or in vitro); asterisks indicate a significant difference between two culture conditions under the same Zn concentration (* p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001).

Data availability statement

Data for the manuscript have been deposited in the generalist repositories of Mendeley Data (https://data.mendeley.com/datasets/wg4wjhdjmv/1).