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Endophytic fungal community composition and function response to strawberry genotype and disease resistance

Summary

Researchers studied fungi living inside three varieties of strawberry plants to understand why some varieties are more resistant to diseases. They found that disease-resistant strawberries like White Elves naturally harbor beneficial fungi such as Trichoderma and Talaromyces that fight off pathogens, while disease-susceptible varieties like Akihime have more harmful fungi. This discovery could help farmers grow healthier strawberries without relying solely on chemical pesticides by using natural beneficial fungi.

Background

Endophytic microbiomes play important roles in plant defense and disease resistance. Understanding the composition and diversity of fungal communities in strawberry plants, a major global crop affected by multiple pathogens, is critical for developing disease-resistant cultivars and improving agricultural practices.

Objective

To characterize the endophytic fungal community composition and diversity in three strawberry cultivars (White Elves, Tokun, and Akihime) with different disease resistances, and to identify beneficial and pathogenic fungi that may contribute to disease tolerance.

Results

White Elves demonstrated stronger resistance to both pathogens with smaller lesion diameters, while Akihime showed weaker resistance. Beneficial fungi including Trichoderma and Talaromyces were more prevalent in White Elves, whereas pathogenic fungi (Colletotrichum, Alternaria, Fusarium) were more abundant in Akihime. A total of 258 fungal strains representing 34 genera were isolated, with significant differences in community structure among cultivars.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that strawberry genotype and disease resistance significantly influence endophytic fungal community composition and diversity. The findings provide a theoretical basis for biological control of strawberry fungal diseases and support plant microbiome engineering approaches to improve disease resistance in strawberry cultivation.
  • Published in:PeerJ,
  • Study Type:Comparative Laboratory Study,
  • Source: 10.7717/peerj.19383, PMID: 40356669
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