Diversity and heavy metal tolerance of endophytic fungi from six dominant plant species in a Pb–Zn mine wasteland in China

The diversity and metal tolerance of endophytic fungi from six dominant plant species in a Pb–Zn mine wasteland in Yunnan, China were investigated. Four hundred and ninety-five endophytic fungi were isolated from 690 tissue segments. The endophytic fungal colonization extent and isolation extent ranged from 59 % to 75 %, and 0.42–0.93, respectively, and a positive correlation was detected between them. Stems harboured more endophytic fungi than leaves in each plant species, and the average colonization extent of stems was 82 %, being significantly higher than that of leaves (47 %) (P ≤ 0.001, chi-square test). The fungi were identified to 20 taxa in which Phoma, Alternaria and Peyronellaea were the dominant genera and the relative frequencies of them were 39.6 %, 19.0 % and 20.4 %, respectively. Metal tolerance test showed that 3.6 mM Pb2+ or 11.5 mM Zn2+ exhibited the greatest toxicity to some isolates and they did not grow on the metal-amended media. In contrast, some isolates were growth stimulated in the presence of tested metals. The isolates of Phoma were more sensitive to Zn2+ than the isolates of Alternaria and Peyronellaea. However, the sensitivity of isolates to Pb2+ was not significantly different among Phoma, Alternaria, Peyronellaea and other taxa (P > 0.05, chi-square test). Our results suggested that fungal endophyte colonization in Pb–Zn polluted plants is moderately abundant and some isolates have a marked adaptation to Pb2+ and Zn2+ metals, which has a potential application in phytoremediation in this area.

► The endophytic fungal diversity of plants in Pb–Zn polluted area.
► The heavy metal tolerance of the endophytic fungi.
► The fungal endophytes colonization in Pb–Zn polluted plants is moderately abundant.
► Phoma, Alternaria and Peyronellaea were the most frequent endophytic fungi in Pb–Zn polluted area.
► Some isolates have a marked tolerance to Pb2+ and/or Zn2+ metals.