Endophytic communities in S. lycopersicum genotypes: Isolation of a novel fungal strain and its application to plant

Abstract

Plant development and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses is influenced by several factors, including the plant genotype and the microbial communities that interact with it. Understanding this can be crucial in the search for new agricultural techniques that are more efficient and less harmful to the environment. In this thesis, various genotypes of tomato (S. lycopersicum) and the relation with their endophytic microbial communities have been studied. The influence of plant genotype was assessed under heat stress through physiological and transcriptomic evaluation, and analysis of their endophytic communities was performed by studying the microbiome. Based on this, the isolation, identification, and characterization of a new endophytic fungal strain was achieved, as well as the study of its function in the plant under controlled conditions and against the pathogen P. syringae.