Comparative Metagenomic Analyses of Endophytic Fungi Assemblages in Shoot and Root Regions of Heteropogoncontortus

Research in the present study characterizes the endophytic fungal community associated with the above and belowground part of Heteropogon contortus (L.) P. Beauv. A metagenomic approach based on the ITS region of fungal rDNA was used to characterize the endophytic fungal community in H. contortus . A total of 130,686 and 63,536 reads from the shoot and root with a read length of 301. A total of 27 endophytic fungal species belonging to 26 genera and 27 families were identified in the shoot and root of H. contortus. According to the alpha and beta diversity analysis, the work showed a significant difference in the assemblages of the endophytic fungal community. The diversity of endophytic fungi was high in root followed by the shoot. Our results suggested a better understanding of the mutualistic association of host and endophytic fungi, and assist in screening and utilization of bio-compounds of fungal endophytes in the promotion of host plant health.