Morpho-molecular identification of mangrove root endophytic fungi from Nogas Island, Antique, Philippines

Abstract Mangroves are important hotspots of fungal diversity. Although the Philippines is home to a significant number of mangrove species, the identification of their associated endophytic fungi remains limited, with most studies focusing on foliar endophytes. This study provides the first comprehensive morphological and phylogenetic characterization of endophytic fungi from mangrove roots in the Philippines. A total of 25 endophytic fungal isolates were obtained from three mangrove hosts, Avicennia marina , Bruguiera cylindrica , and Rhizophora stylosa, in Nogas Island, Antique, Philippines. The isolates were classified into 10 morphospecies and identified using BLASTn searches in NCBI and phylogenetic inference based on several DNA markers, including internal transcribed spacer regions of ribosomal DNA (ITS), nuclear large subunit ribosomal DNA (LSU), RNA polymerase II second largest subunit ( rpb2 ), β-tubulin ( tub ), and translation elongation factor 1-alpha ( tef-1α ). Ten species of endophytic fungi belonging to Ascomycota and Basidiomycota were identified, representing one new species ( Amphisphaeria endophytica sp. nov.), six new geographic records, and 10 new host records. Morphological descriptions and phylogenetic analyses for each identified species are detailed in this study.