Diversity and Molecular Characterization of Endophytic fungi associated with Leaves of Acacianilotica

Abstract

Fungal endophytesare colonized in different part of the plants and play important role in survival of plants in stressful habitat. In search of potential endophytic fungito produce bioactive metabolites inthis study we investigate thediversity of endophytic fungi associated with leaves of the Acacia nilotica plant. Twenty-six endophytic fungi were subjected to morphologicaland molecular identification with internal transcribes spacer (ITS) region sequenced. All 26 endophytic fungi were divided into nine genera Chaetomium, Amesia, Ovatospora, Penicillium, Phialemonium, Colletotrichum, Crinipellis, Acrophialophora, Cribbea. Most of them belonged to the phylum Ascomycota only one belonging to the phylum Basidiomycota. This study shows that Acacia leaves inhabitant by diverse group of endophytic fungi. The biodiversity analysis showed Chaetomium sp. Being dominant with the highest colonization frequency (26.9%). One of the Chaetomium sp. showed sequence similarity of93% with the species reported earlier, Further investigationsarein needed to harness the bioactive compounds.