Fungal endophytes can improve plant tolerance to abiotic stress. However, the role of these plant-fungal interactions in invasive species ecology and their management implications remain unclear. This study characterized the fungal endophyte communities of native and invasive lineages of Phragmites australis and assessed the role of dark septate endophytes (DSE) in salt tolerance of this species. We used Illumina sequencing to characterize root fungal endophytes of contiguous stands of native and invasive P. australis along a salinity gradient. DSE colonization was assessed throughout the growing season in the field, and effects of fungal inoculation on salinity tolerance were investigated using laboratory and greenhouse studies. Native and invasive lineages had distinct fungal endophyte communities that shifted across the salinity gradient. DSE colonization was greater in the invasive lineage and increased with salinity. Laboratory studies showed that DSE inoculation increased P. australis seedling survival under salt stress; and a greenhouse assay revealed that the invasive lineage had higher aboveground biomass under mesohaline conditions when inoculated with a DSE. We observed that P. australis can establish mutualistic associations with DSE when subjected to salt stress. This type of plant-fungal association merits further investigation in integrated management strategies of invasive species and restoration of native Phragmites.

中文翻译：

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深色有隔内生菌提高芦苇本地和入侵谱系的耐盐性。


内生真菌可以提高植物对非生物胁迫的耐受性。然而，这些植物-真菌相互作用在入侵物种生态学中的作用及其管理意义仍不清楚。本研究描述了芦苇本地和入侵谱系的真菌内生菌群落，并评估了深色有隔内生菌（DSE）在该物种耐盐性中的作用。我们使用 Illumina 测序来表征沿着盐度梯度的本地和入侵 P. australis 的邻近林地的根部真菌内生真菌。在田间的整个生长季节评估了 DSE 定殖，并利用实验室和温室研究调查了真菌接种对耐盐性的影响。本地和入侵谱系具有不同的内生真菌群落，这些内生真菌群落会随着盐度梯度的变化而变化。 DSE 定殖在侵入谱系中较多，并且随着盐度的增加而增加。实验室研究表明，接种 DSE 可以提高南方 P. australis 幼苗在盐胁迫下的存活率；温室试验表明，当接种 DSE 时，在中盐条件下，入侵谱系具有更高的地上生物量。我们观察到，当遭受盐胁迫时，P. australis 可以与 DSE 建立互惠关系。这种类型的植物-真菌关联值得在入侵物种的综合管理策略和本土芦苇的恢复方面进行进一步研究。