Trees hold a special place on the planet. Apart from being an important resource to us, they are also a generous host to many species of fungi and bacteria that spend parts of their life cycle inside the trees.
These microorganisms, called endophytes, have a symbiotic relationship with trees, the nature of which depends on the genetic, environmental and geographical conditions. It is believed that they have played a role in shaping the evolution of plants. Suryanarayanan, one of the members of the study team. In their 25 years of study on endophytes, they have never come across a plant that is free of them. It is estimated that among the 1.
This particular study describes some of these adaptations by Pestalotiopsis, a fungal endophyte. Apart from being non-disease causing endophyte, Pestalotiopsis is found in the leaves of a wide range of host trees and causes leaf spots and affects fruits too.
The researchers collected samples from four forest regions within the Western Ghats that are different in terms of altitude and the amount of rainfall they receive. They found that this fungus was present in all the regions, indicating its ability to counter a variety of defense mechanisms exhibited by the trees.
Since we show that a few Pestalotiopsis species have a wide host range and can infect many forest tree species, it would be of interest to screen these for anti-pest properties. S Suryanarayanan. Studies have shown that when endophytes are cultured in a laboratory, they produce some novel molecules that have antibiotic, anticancer and antimalarial properties. Earlier, Dr. They even utilize furaldehydes, the most abundant organic volatile compound released by burning plant litter and are toxic to fungi in general.
