Root endophytic Penicillium promotes growth of Antarctic vascular plants by enhancing nitrogen mineralization
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ORIGINAL PAPER
Root endophytic Penicillium promotes growth of Antarctic vascular plants by enhancing nitrogen mineralization Rómulo Oses‑Pedraza1,2 · Cristian Torres‑Díaz3 · Paris Lavín4 · Patricio Retamales‑Molina5 · Cristian Atala6 · Jorge Gallardo‑Cerda7 · Ian S. Acuña‑Rodríguez7 · Marco A. Molina‑Montenegro2,7,8 Received: 28 January 2020 / Accepted: 6 July 2020 © Springer Japan KK, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract Fungal endophyte associations have been suggested as a possible strategy of Antarctic vascular plants for surviving the extreme environmental conditions of Antarctica. However, the mechanisms by which this occurs are still poorly understood. The role of root fungal endophytes in nitrogen mineralization and nutrient uptake, as well as their impact on the performance of Antarctic plants, were studied. We tested root endophytes, isolated from Colobanthus quitensis and Deschampsia antarctica, for lignocellulolytic enzyme production, nitrogen mineralization, and growth enhancement of their host plants. Penicillium chrysogenum and Penicillium brevicompactum were identified using a molecular approach as the main root endophytes inhabiting C. quitensis and D. antarctica, respectively. Both root endophytes were characterized as psychrophilic fungi displaying amylase, esterase, protease, cellulase, hemicellulase, phosphatase and urease enzymatic activities, mainly at 4 °C. Moreover, the rates and percentages of nitrogen mineralization, as well as the final total biomass, were significantly higher in symbiotic C. quitensis and D. antarctica individuals. Our findings suggest that root endophytes exert a pivotal ecological role based not only to breakdown different nutrient sources but also on accelerating nitrogen mineralization, improving nutrient acquisition, and therefore promoting plant growth in Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems. Keywords Endophytes · Antarctic vascular plants · Penicillium · Growth · Nitrogen · Mineralization
Introduction
Communicated by L. Huang. * Rómulo Oses‑Pedraza [email protected] 1
Vicerrectoría de Investigación y Postgrado (VRIP), Centro Regional de Investigación y Desarrollo Sustentable de Atacama (CRIDESAT), Universidad de Atacama (UDA), Avenida Copayapu N° 485, Copiapó, Chile
2
Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Áridas (CEAZA), Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Católica del Norte, Larrondo N°1281, Coquimbo, Chile
3
Laboratorio de Genómica y Biodiversidad (LGB), Departamento de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Bío-Bío, Chillan, Chile
4
Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Recursos Biológicos, Departamento de Biotecnología; Laboratorio de Complejidad Microbiana y Ecología Funcional, Instituto Antofagasta, Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Chile
Fungal endophytes are defined as symbiotic microorganisms capable of migrating into the plant endosphere, colonizing healthy plant tissues, inter-and/or intracellularly, and 5
Laboratorio de Bacteriología Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Diego Portales (UDP), República # 239, Santi
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