Role of the Foliar Endophyte Colletotrichum in the Resistance of Invasive Ageratina adenophora to Disease and Abiotic Stress

Plant-associated fungi often drive plant invasion success by increasing host growth, disease resistance, and tolerance to environmental stress. A high abundance of <i>Colletotrichum</i> asymptomatically accumulated in the leaves of <i>Ageratina adenophora</i>. In this study, we aimed to clarify whether three genetically distinct endophytic <i>Colletotrichum</i> isolates (AX39, AX115, and AX198) activate invasive plant defenses against disease and environmental stress. We observed that, in the absence of pathogen attack and environmental stress, the foliar endophyte <i>Colletotrichum</i> reduced photosynthesis-related physiological indicators (i.e., chlorophyll content and soluble sugar content), increased resistance-related indicators (i.e., total phenolic (TP) and peroxidase (POD) activity), and decreased the biomass of <i>A. adenophora</i>. However, endophytic <i>Colletotrichum</i> strains exhibit positive effects on resistance to certain foliar pathogen attacks. Strains AX39 and AX115 promoted but AX198 attenuated the pathogenic effects of pathogen strains G56 and Y122 (members of <i>Mesophoma ageratinae</i>). In contrast, AX39 and AX115 weakened, but AX198 had no effect on, the pathogenic effect of the pathogen strain S188 (<i>Mesophoma speciosa</i>; Didymellaceae family). We also found that endophytes increase the biomass of <i>A. adenophora</i> under drought or nutrient stress. Strain AX198 significantly increased stem length and chlorophyll content under drought stress. Strain AX198 significantly increased the aboveground dry weight, AX115 increased the stem length, and AX39 significantly increased the chlorophyll content under nutrient stress. Our results revealed that there are certain positive effects of foliar <i>Colletotrichum</i> endophytes on <i>A. adenophora</i> in response to biotic and abiotic stresses, which may be beneficial for its invasion.