Abstract:[Background] Epichloae endophyte-cool season grasses associations spread widely in China, there is genetic diversity in endophyte. [Objective] we collected plants from 8 cities of 6 provinces throughout China and hundreds of strains were obtained. NRPS5 genes of 21 Epichlo? spp. strains obtained from endophyte-grass associations were detected. Genetic diversity of NRPS5 genes in Epichlo? spp. was analyzed. [Methods] Fungal genomic DNA was extracted. NRPS5 genes were detected by specific DNA primers by PCR, and PCR products were then sequenced and analyzed. Phylogenetic tree based on maximum-parsimony of NRPS5 gene was constructed. [Results] NRPS5 genes may be distributed widely in Epichloae inhabited in the cool season grasses of eastern China. There was a small number of bases difference in same Epichlo? spp. or different Epichlo? spp. from same host except Roegneria spp., and there was a large number of bases difference of different host plants. There was no correlation between the locations of the host plant, the time of collection and the formation of stromata, and the differences in the NRPS5 gene fragment were mainly related to the host plants. These results indicated that NRPS5 fragment sequence is conservative, should locate in the function core of the NRPS proteins. [Conclusion] NRPS5 gene is relatively conserved, and could be an aiding method to evaluate genetic diversity of Epichlo? spp. endophytes.
