The Evaluation of the Endophytic Mycobiome of Magnolia grandiflor

All plants are both externally and internally occupied by an assorted microbial community. This colonized community is part of the plant's microbiome and consists of bacteria, protists and fungi. Asymptomatic microbes occupying internal tissues of plants are called endophytes. Fungal endophytes are of major importance because they exist in the healthy tissues of all terrestrial plants and have in some cases been shown to contribute to the health of their plant hosts. They are also important because some fungi are known to produce a variety of enzymes, vitamins, secondary metabolites and volatiles. Despite their biological and practical importance, plant-fungal endophyte interactions have been underexplored and in spite of their ubiquitous nature, it is not always clear if and how fungal endophytes affect the health of their plant hosts. Before we can understand how fungal endophytes affect their plant hosts, it is important to explore the fungal community within plants.;The goal of this project was to explore the fungal mycobiome of Magnolia grandiflora in several different ways. This involved first categorizing cultivable fungi within leaves and then comparing the fungal communities between adjacent leaves on the Magnolia tree. The second goal of this project was to explore possible routes of transmission of fungal endophytes into Magnolia grandiflora leaves. This involved analyzing seeds and arils for endophytic fungi, demonstrating that "endophyte-free" plants can be produced in the lab and comparing the fungal community of lab grown plant leaves to Magnolia tree leaves using both culturing methods and molecular analysis. The final goal of this project was to use a lab grown plant to mimic environmental inoculation of fungi and to explore the fungal community of neighboring Magnolia plants that randomly sprouted at various times throughout the year. Research on endophytic fungi within plants is crucial in uncovering hidden microbial communities, approximating fungal diversity and monitoring changes in diversity. All of which can begin to answer questions of if and how fungal endophytes affect the health of their plant hosts.