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. 2024 Feb 11;10(2):145.
doi: 10.3390/jof10020145.

The Relationship between Endophytic Fungi of Chimonanthus praecox and Volatile Metabolites under Different Circadian Rhythms and Blooming Stages

Yue Li  1 , Jingying Hei  2 , Xiahong He  2 , Rui Rui  1   2 , Shu Wang  1   2
Affiliations

The Relationship between Endophytic Fungi of Chimonanthus praecox and Volatile Metabolites under Different Circadian Rhythms and Blooming Stages

Yue Li et al. J Fungi (Basel). .

Abstract

Chimonanthus praecox is an aromatic plant that flowers in winter. The composition of the floral volatiles of C. praecox is influenced by different blooming stages, circadian rhythms and species. However, the relationship between floral volatiles and plant endophytic fungi has not received much research attention. Here, we used high-throughput sequencing technology to compare and analyze the changes in the structure and diversity of the endophytic fungal communities in C. praecox under different circadian rhythms (7:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., and 7:00 p.m.) and in different blooming stages (unopened flowers and opened flowers). The endophytic fungi of C. praecox consisted of nine phyla, 34 classes, 79 orders, 181 families, 293 genera, and 397 species, and Ascomycota was the dominant phylum. Under a diurnal rhythm, the diversity (Chao1 and Shannon indices) of endophytic fungi gradually decreased in the unopened flowers, while an increasing and then decreasing trend was found for the opened flowers. In the different blooming stages, the endophytic fungal diversity was significantly higher at 7:00 a.m. in the unopened flowers compared to the opened flowers. Humidity was the key factors that significantly affected the endophytic fungal diversity and community. Moreover, 11 endophytic fungi were significantly positively or negatively correlated with seven floral volatiles. In conclusion, the community structure and diversity of endophytic fungi in C. praecox were affected by the different blooming stages and circadian rhythms, and a correlation effect related to floral volatiles was found, but there are other possible reasons that were not tested. This study provides a theoretical basis for elucidating the interrelationships between endophytic fungi, floral volatiles, and environmental factors in C. praecox.

Keywords: Chimonanthus praecox; community composition; diversity; endophytic fungi; floral fragrance.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flower morphology of var. grandiflorus ((a): unopened flowers; (b): opened flowers).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Analysis of fungal diversity and community in the flower of C. praecox in different blooming stages and under different circadian rhythms. (a) Chao1 index; (b) Shannon index; (c) fungal community. GUA: unopened flowers at 7:00 a.m.; GUB: unopened flowers at 1:00 p.m.; GUC: unopened flowers at 7:00 p.m.; GOA: opened flowers at 7:00 a.m.; GOB: opened flowers at 1:00 p.m.; GOC: opened flowers at 7:00 p.m.. Different letters in each column indicate significant differences (p < 0.05).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Venn analysis for the OTU distribution of endophytic fungi. (a,b) indicate the different blooming stages and circadian rhythms, respectively. GUA: unopened flowers at 7:00 a.m.; GUB: unopened flowers at 1:00 p.m.; GUC: unopened flowers at 7:00 p.m.; GOA: opened flowers at 7:00 a.m.; GOB: opened flowers at 1:00 p.m.; GOC: opened flowers at 7:00 p.m..
Figure 4
Figure 4
Correlation analysis for the relationship between the main floral compounds and endophytic fungi in C. praecox. ***, ** and * indicates a significant correlation at the 0.001, 0.01 and 0.05 levels, respectively.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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