Guest guest Posted June 7, 2000 Report Share Posted June 7, 2000 Dear All, The New Scientist of 29/4/2000 No. 2236 ( originally from Ann Rev of Ecology Systematics. Vol. 29, p319, 1998. and Endophytic fungi in grasses and woody plants) has an article about fungal endophytes (differentiated from pathogenic fungi, mycorrhizal fungi and nitrogen fixers). There are between 1.5 and 13 million spp of fungi of which half are endophytes. Fungal endophytes live in the leaves and skins of plants-they are little known symbionts which protect the plant in exchange for shelter - through the production of toxic alkaloids. Eg is Neotyphodium coenophialum on tall fescue grasses which protects the grass by poisoning cattle. (The article continues with lots of detail..) Practical uses ...could enable anti-insect effects or increased resistance in crops (no need for GM crops?) ...produce useful chemicals eg taxol is produced by the yew and by a fungal endophyte in the yew needles. An endophyte from the Himalayan yew produces 1000 times as much taxol as the common pacific yew. Taxol has antifungal properties so may help keep pathogens at bay in damp environment. It seems to me possible that other herbs owe at least some of their properties to fungal endophytes. Scope for research here Morag moragchacksfield@... ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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