Figures (7)  Tables (4)

    • Figure 1. 

      Dual culture technique for testing the biocontrol potential of endophytic fungi against fungal phytopathogens. (a) Dual culture plate. (b) Control plate.

    • Figure 2. 

      Culture characteristics of isolated endophytes on PDA at 28 °C. (a) Aspergillus sp. (GMBUCC 24–006). (b) Aspergillus sp. (GMBUCC 24–007). (c) Aspergillus sp. (GMBUCC 24–008). (d) Aspergillus sp. (GMBUCC 24–009). (e) Penicillium sp. (GMBUCC 24–010). (f) Penicillium sp. (GMBUCC 24–011). (g) Aspergillus sp. (GMBUCC 24–012). (h) Aspergillus sp. (GMBUCC 24–013).

    • Figure 3. 

      Growth rates of isolated fungal endophytes on PDA at 28 ºC. The bars denoted by the same letters are not significantly different from each other.

    • Figure 4. 

      Antagonism between isolated fungal endophytes and Neopestalotiopsis cubana GMBUCC 24–001 (Dual culture plates - a to h) (N. cubana GMBUCC 24–001on the left and fungal endophytes on the right side). (Fungal endophytes in plate; (a) GMBUCC 24–006. (b) GMBUCC 24–007. (c) GMBUCC 24–008. (d) GMBUCC 24–009. (e) GMBUCC 24–010. (f) GMBUCC 24–011. (g) GMBUCC 24–012. (h) GMBUCC 24–013. (CP) Control Plate (N. cubana GMBUCC 24–001).

    • Figure 5. 

      Inhibition percentage of N. cubana strain no. GMBUCC 24–001 by different fungal endophytes isolated from seaweeds on PDA medium at 28 °C. (a) GMBUCC 24–006. (b) GMBUCC 24–007. (c) GMBUCC 24–008. (d) GMBUCC 24–009. (e) GMBUCC 24–010. (f) GMBUCC 24–011. (g) GMBUCC 24–012. (h) GMBUCC 24–013.

    • Figure 6. 

      Antagonism between isolated fungal endophytes and Colletotrichum siamense UKCC 24–012 (Dual culture plates - a to h) (Colletotrichum siamense UKCC 24–012 on the left and fungal endophytes on the right side). (Fungal endophytes in plate; (a) GMBUCC 24–006. (b) GMBUCC 24–007. (c) GMBUCC 24–008. (d) GMBUCC 24–009. (e) GMBUCC 24–010. (f) GMBUCC 24–011. (g) GMBUCC 24–012. (h). GMBUCC 24–013. (CP) Control plate (C. siamense UKCC 24–012).

    • Figure 7. 

      Inhibition percentage of Colletotrichum siamense (UKCC 24–012) by different fungal endophytes isolated from seaweeds on PDA medium at 28 °C. (a) GMBUCC 24–006. (b) GMBUCC 24–007. (c) GMBUCC 24–008. (d) GMBUCC 24–009. (e) GMBUCC 24–010. (f) GMBUCC 24–011. (g) GMBUCC 24–012. (h) GMBUCC 24–013.

    • Locality Seaweed species Fungal endophytes Ref.
      India Sargassum ilicifolium Aspergillus terreus
      		 [11]
      Sargassum wightii
      		 Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus terreus, Cladosporium sp., Nigrospora sp., Penicillium sp, [11]
      Ulva lactuca Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus terreus, Chaetomium sp., Cladosporium sp., Nigrospora sp., Penicillium sp. [11]
      Ulva fasciata Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus terreus, Chaetomium sp., Curvularia lunata, Paecilomyces sp. [11]
      Padina tetrastromatica Acremoniella sp., Ascotricha sp., Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus terreus, Chaetomium sp., Monodictys sp., Paecilomyces sp., Penicillium sp., Phialophora sp. [11]
      Canada Ulva lactuca Penicillium chrysogenum [48]
      Ulva intestinalis Aspergillus sp. [48]
      Chondrus crispus Aspergillus sp., Penicillium crustosum [48]
      Saccharina latissima Aspergillus sp., Penicillium chrysogenum, Penicillium soppii [48]
      United Kingdom Ulva intestinalis Bionectria ochroleuca Cordyceps sp., Leptosphaeria sp., Penicillium sp. [10]
      Ulva lactuca Eurotium sp., Leotiomyceta sp., Penicillium sp., Pseudeurotium bakeri, Stilbella fimetaria [10]
      Fucus serratus Aspergillus fumigatus Coniothyrium sp., Penicillium sp. 10]
      Ascophyllum nodosum Aspergillus fumigatus, Cladosporium sp., Dendryphiella salina, Lichtheimia corymbifera [10]
      Fucus spiralis Penicillium sp. [10]
      Fucus vesiculosus Alternaria sp., Aspergillus fumigatus, Chalara sp., Coniothyrium sp., Penicillium sp. [10]
      Ascophyllum nodosum Mycosphaerella ascophylli [10]
      Chondrus crispus Lautitia danica [10]
      China Sargassum fusiforme Aspergillus wentii [49]
      Sargassum horneri Pestalotiopsis sp. [50]
      Sargassum kjellmanianum Aspergillus ochraceus [42]
      Sargassum thunbergii Aspergillus versicolor, Eurotium cristatum [51]
      Ulva pertusa Chaetomium globosum [43,52]
      Egypt Ulva sp. Penicillium sp. [53]
      North sea Ulva lactuca Ascochyta salicorniae [54]

      Table 1. 

      Summary of seaweed-associated fungal endophytes reported worldwide.

    • BLAST search results
      Culture collection code GenBank accession no. of the closest match Closest match Identity (%) Query coverage (%) GenBank accession no.
      GMBUCC 24–006 NR_171584 Aspergillus urmiensis 98.1 98 PP818902
      GMBUCC 24–007 NR_121481 Aspergillus fumigatus 99.3 97 PP818903
      GMBUCC 24–008 NR_121481 Aspergillus fumigatus 98.8 97 PP818904
      GMBUCC 24–009 NR_121481 Aspergillus fumigatus 99.5 97 PP818905
      GMBUCC 24–010 NR_158822 Penicillium cataractarum 99.1 94 PP818906
      GMBUCC 24–011 NR_158822 Penicillium cataractarum 98.7 94 PP818907
      GMBUCC 24–012 NR_121481 Aspergillus fumigatus 99.8 98 PP818908
      GMBUCC 24–013 NR_173418 Aspergillus heldtiae 98.1 97 PP818909

      Table 2. 

      Preliminary identification of endophytic fungi isolated from seaweeds based on ITS nucleotide BLAST searches in GenBank.

    • Strain no. Collection site Host
      GMBUCC 24–006 Thalpe beach Padina antillarum
      GMBUCC 24–007 Madiha beach Sargassum ilicifolium
      GMBUCC 24–008 Madiha beach Sargassum ilicifolium
      GMBUCC 24–009 Madiha beach Padina antillarum
      GMBUCC 24–010 Thalpe beach Ulva lactuca
      GMBUCC 24–011 Thalpe beach Ulva lactuca
      GMBUCC 24–012 Koggala beach Ulva lactuca
      GMBUCC 24–013 Koggala beach Ulva lactuca

      Table 3. 

      Endophytic fungal strains isolated from seaweeds found in the southern coastal waters.

    • Strain no. Genus Radial growth rate (mm/day) at 28 ºC
      on PDA      		 Colony colour
      GMBUCC 24–006 Aspergillus 1.978 Gamboge
      GMBUCC 24–007 Aspergillus 2.978 Greenish grey
      GMBUCC 24–008 Aspergillus 3.275 Greenish grey
      GMBUCC 24–009 Aspergillus 2.854 Greenish grey
      GMBUCC 24–010 Penicillium 1.972 Dove grey with a
      white periphery
      GMBUCC 24–011 Penicillium 2.167 Dove grey with a
      white periphery
      GMBUCC 24–012 Aspergillus 3.024 Greenish grey
      GMBUCC 24–013 Aspergillus 3.511 Orange with a
      white periphery

      Table 4. 

      Colony characteristic of fungal endophytes isolated from seaweeds.