Piriformospora

Piriformospora
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Basidiomycota
Class: Agaricomycetes
Order: Sebacinales
Family: Sebacinaceae
Genus: Piriformospora
Species: P. indica
Type species
Piriformospora indica
Sav.Verma, Aj.Varma, Rexer, G.Kost & P.Franken (1998)

Piriformospora is a fungal genus of the order Sebacinales. It is a monotypic genus, containing the single endophytic root-colonising species Piriformospora indica, discovered from orchid plants in the Thar desert in Rajasthan, India. The fungus has typical pear-shaped chlamydospores, and thus, named as P. indica . Unlike mycorrhizal fungi, which cannot be cultured axenically, P. indica can be easily grown on various substrates. It has been found to promote plant growth during its symbiotic relationship with a wide variety of plants.[1] Experiments have shown that P. indica increases the resistance of colonized plants against fungal pathogens.[2] It has also been found in experiments with barley that P. indica-inoculated plants are tolerant to salt stress and more resistant to root pathogens. P. indica-infested roots also show antioxidant capacity. The fungus also induces systemic disease resistance in plants.[3] P. indica was found to require host cell death for proliferation during mutualistic symbiosis in barley.[4]

External links

References

  1. ^ Verma S, Varma A, Rexer K-H, Hassel A, Kost G, Sarbhoy A, Bisen P, Bütehorn B, Franken P. (1998). "Piriformospora indica, gen. et sp. nov., a new root-colonizing fungus". Mycologia 90 (5): 896–903. http://www.cybertruffle.org.uk/cyberliber/59350/0090/005/0896.htm. 
  2. ^ Serfling A, Wirsel SG, Lind V, Deising HB. (2007). "Performance of the biocontrol fungus Piriformospora indica on wheat under greenhouse and field conditions". Phytopathology 97 (4): 523–31. PMID 18943293. 
  3. ^ Waller F, Achatz B, Baltruschat H, Fodor J, Becker K, Fischer M, Heier T, Hückelhoven R, Neumann C, von Wettstein D, Franken P, Kogel KH. (2005). "The endophytic fungus Piriformospora indica reprograms barley to salt-stress tolerance, disease resistance, and higher yield". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 102 (38): 13386–91. doi:10.1073/pnas.0504423102. PMC 1224632. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=1224632. 
  4. ^ Deshmukh S, Hückelhoven R, Schäfer P, Imani J, Sharma M, Weiss M, Waller F, Kogel KH. (2006). "The root endophytic fungus Piriformospora indica requires host cell death for proliferation during mutualistic symbiosis with barley". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 105 (49): 18450–7. PMC 1697795. PMID 17116870. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=1697795.