Fungal endophyte protects Atractylodes lancea from root rot caused by Fusarium oxysporum

Endophytic fungi, which stimulate a variety of defence reactions in host plants without causing visible disease symptoms, have been isolated from almost every plant. However, beneficial interactions between fungal endophytes and pathogens from the same habitat remain largely unknown. An inoculation of Atractylodes lancea plantlets with Gilmaniella sp. AL12 (AL12) prior to infection with Fusarium oxysporum prevented the necrotization of root tissues and plant growth retardation commonly associated with fusarium root rot. Quantification of F. oxysporum infections using real-time PCR revealed a correlation between root rot symptoms and the relative amount of fungal DNA. Pretreatment with AL12 reduced the accumulation of reactive oxygen species stimulated by F. oxysporum. An in vitro analysis of their interactions under axenic culture conditions showed AL12 could inhibit F. oxysporum growth. Additionally, F. oxysporum infections were shown to decrease salicylic acid (SA) production compared with control plantlets. SA biosynthesis inhibitors, 2-aminoindan-2-phosphonic acid and paclobutrazol, abolished the inhibition of F. oxysporum growth in A. lancea even after inoculation with AL12. The results indicated that the fungal endophyte protected A. lancea not only by direct antibiosis, but also by reversing the F. oxysporum-mediated suppression of SA production.