Turnau, Katarzyna*; Glanowska, B; Ryszka, P; Lembicz, M; Czarnołęski, M; Kozłowski, J. Interactions between grasses, endophytes and mycorrhizas under extreme conditions. In: International Meeting on "Population and Evolutionary Biology of Fungal Symbionts", Ascona, Switzerland, 2007. AB-24.

Two grass species, Molinia caerulea and Puccinellia distans, both being perennial and  both growing under extreme conditions, were studied concerning their interaction with fungi colonizing their shoots and roots. The first plant was investigated mainly at the zinc industrial wastes where it was strongly mycorrhizal while almost all seed forming shoots were infected with Claviceps purpurea. The infection, however was limited mainly to flowering part of shoots. In the case of P. distans, collected from salty places,  mycorrhizal colonization was strongly inhibited within most of the root system while the shoot infection was more expanded and was present throughout the year. Both plants were studied concerning photosynthetic activity, formation of mycorrhiza, germination of seeds, role of endophytic fungi on colonization of seeds by parasitic fungi under salty/polluted and nonextreme conditions. A broad range of methods, including fluorescence of chlorofil, isolation of fungi and their interactions, was used.

Keywords: endophytes, mycorrhiza, heavy metals.

*Institution: Jagiellonian University, Polond

Email: turnau@eko.uj.edu.pl