Molecular Characterization and Endophytic Life Style Pattern of Cladosporium uredinicola Derived from Marine Brown Alga Dictyota dichotoma

Marine endophytic fungi are rich sources of bioactive metabolites due to their peculiar life style and extreme environmental conditions of the marine ecosystem. However, many of the marine endophytic fungi are either unexplored or obscure due to lack of proper staining and culture techniques. In the present work an endophytic fungal species Cladosporium uredinicola was isolated from the marine brown alga Dictyota dichotoma and identified through molecular characterization. Further an effort was also made to understand the life cycle of the endophytic fungus and its growth pattern. Different stages in the life cycle of the fungus was observed with the improvised staining techniques and phase contrast microscopic observations.