ISSN 2348-313X (Print) International Journal of Life Sciences Research ISSN 2348-3148 (online) Vol. 7, Issue 2, pp: (297-303), Month: April - June 2019, Available at: www.researchpublish.com Page | 297 Research Publish Journals In-Vitro study on tolerance of heavy metals by some endophytic fungi Ashok Y. Dawande* 1 , Vijay N. Charde 1 , Yogesh S. Banginwar 2 1 Department of Microbiology, Taywade College, Mahadula-Koradi, Nagpur, India 2 Department of Microbiology, Arts and Science College, Pulgaon, Wardha, India *Corresponding author’s E-mail- ashokdawande@gmail.com Abstract: The present study reports on tolerance study of heavy metals by endophytic fungi. Endophytic fungi isolated from agriculture field used for the study were Phomopsis sp, Fusarium sp.1, Colletotrichum sp, Fusarium sp.2 and Phoma sp. To test the effect of different metal on varying concentration of heavy metal, the heavy metal of different concentration were added to the PDA media range varying from 50-600ppm. Fungal endophytes on PDA medium without heavy metal served as control. PDA plates with metal ions were inoculated with fresh culture of fungus and were allowed to incubate at 27 °C for 7 days. The different test isolates at the different concentrations of the test metals exhibited varying degree of effect on mycelia formation. The results indicated at 600 ppm metal concentration, the most heavy metals tolerant endophytic fungus was Colletotrichum sp (resistant to all metals under study) followed by Fusarium sp.1 and Phoma sp (resistant to Cu (II), Zn (II), Pb (II) and Cd (II)). Phomopsis sp and Fusarium sp.2 were tolerant to Cu (II), Zn (II) and Pb (II) and Zn (II), Pb (II) and Cr (VI) respectively. The ability of fungal endophytes to grow in the presence of heavy metals is always be an added advantage in the treatment of waste water where role of microorganisms is to degrade organic matter through biological process. Keywords: Endophytic fungi, Heavy metal Tolerance, Bioremediation. 1. INTRODUCTION Due to increased industrialization and technological development, contamination of soil and water environments by heavy metals also increases significantly leading to heavy metal pollution. Such pollution has serious impact on the environment and public health as heavy metals are toxic in nature, non-biodegradable and are bio-accumulator. Failures of conventional treatment systems for heavy metal removal mainly pointed for high expenses, low efficient, labor-intensive operational or lack of selectivity in the treating process [1], [2], [3], [4]. In order to detoxify and degrade environmental pollutants, alternatives strategies has been necessitated for environmental clean-up. Recently, remediation with use of microorganisms has gained considerable attention for the restoration of contaminated environments. This remediation includes the phytoremediation, bacterial bioremediation and mycoremediation and effectiveness of these options has been well reported [5], [6], [7], [8]. Among these options, mycoremediation has been explored more recently because of its low cost inputs and significant outputs in the bioremediation of environments polluted with heavy metals [9], [10]. Plant-associated fungi isolated from the internal tissues, where reside and cause asymptomatic infection in the host, are called endophytes. Such fungal endophytes are often found to have beneficial effects on plant growth by providing essential elements, resisting colonization by pathogenic microorganisms, or by assisting the plant to adapt to environment [11], [12], [13]. Metal tolerance/resistance referred to as the capacity of a microorganism to survive to lethal effect of metal by means of involvement of their adaptation mechanisms when exposed to the metal(s) concerned [7]. Endophytic fungi have been known for their distinct attributes such as ability to adapt into host to the competitive, high-stress environment of the soil, and therefore with this advantage, these fungi serve as effective bioremediator [14], [15], [16], [17]. The aim of this study is to analyse the effect of heavy metals on growth response of fungal endophytes under laboratory conditions.