XVI International Botanical Congess

Past studies have shown that systemic, vertically transmitted (from maternal plant to seeds) endophytes in grasses show stronger mutualism with the host than non-systemic horizontally transmitted (by spores) endophytes in woody plants. In trees, it is not likely that mutualistic relationship could have been evolved because of the looser association between the host tree and endophytes. We studied how environmental conditions, in concert with host genotype affect the genetic variation of Fusicladium sp. by using random amplified microsatellites-PCR (RAMS-PCR). Samples were collected from 10 half-sib families of mountain birch (Betula pubescens ssp. czerepanovii) grown in two environmental coditions with different daily average mean temperatures.