The responses and detoxification mechanisms of dark septate endophytes (DSE), Exophiala salmonis, to CuO nanoparticles

Importance of Dark Septate Endophytes in Agriculture in the Face of Climate Change

Climate change is a notable challenge for agriculture as it affects crop productivity and yield. Increases in droughts, salinity, and soil degradation are some of the major consequences of climate change. The use of microorganisms has emerged as an alternative to mitigate the effects of climate change. Among these microorganisms, dark septate endophytes (DSEs) have garnered increasing attention in recent years. Dark septate endophytes have shown a capacity for mitigating and reducing the harmful effects of climate change in agriculture, such as salinity, drought, and the reduced nutrient availability in the soil. Various studies show that their association with plants helps to reduce the harmful effects of abiotic stresses and increases the nutrient availability, enabling the plants to thrive under adverse conditions. In this study, the effect of DSEs and the underlying mechanisms that help plants to develop a higher tolerance to climate change were reviewed.

Are dark septate endophytes an ancestral ecological state in the evolutionary history of the order Chaetothyriales?

Dark septate endophytes (DSE) are pigmented fungi that colonize plant roots. They represent a morpho-functional status composed of many species belonging to the phylum Ascomycota, distributed in different orders. The order Chaetothyriales has representatives with diverse lifestyles, among which the rock-inhabiting one has been proposed to be the ancestral ecological character state. However, all taxa have the phenotypic characteristic of being highly melanized. This trait has been considered relevant in most Chaetothyriales because it allows them to tolerate extreme or toxic environmental conditions. In the present study, aiming to reconstruct the evolutionary history of this order, we analyzed the contribution of the DSE habit to the diversification of the Chaetothyriales. We also report the distribution of the DSE habit among the main families and/or clades within the order. Our results suggest that DSE had a key position in the evolution of the order Chaetothyriales, both as an ancestral ecological character and as a character from which other specialized forms such as Domatium probably derived.