Endophytic Undifilum oxytropis (Q. Wang, Nagao & Kakish) Pryor, Creamer, Shoemaker, McLain-Romero, & Hambleton found within toxic locoweeds ( Astragalus and Oxytropis spp.) produces the alkaloid swainsonine, which is responsible for locoism in grazing animals. We sought to determine the location of U. oxytropis within locoweed seed, develop endophyte free plants, and assess the influence of environmental stresses on locoweed and endophyte cultures. Undifilum was identified within the parenchyma layers in seeds of Astragalus lentiginosus M.E. Jones using light microscopy and polymerase chain reaction. Astragalus lentiginosus and Oxytropis sericea Nutt. seedlings produced in embryo culture without seed coats did not contain swainsonine or fungus. Plants produced from whole seed contained U. oxytropis in both foliage and root tissues. When the in-vitro cultured plants of O. sericea and U. oxytropis cultures were subjected to environmental stresses including high temperature, low and high pH media, nutrient deficient media, and polyethylene glycol (PEG) amended media to simulate water deficit, both dry mass and swainsonine levels were affected. Swainsonine levels were greatest for O. sericea and Undifilum cultures in PEG or hydrochloric acid amended media. Plants grown in PEG-amended media had significantly greater dry mass, while Undifilum grown in PEG-amended media had lower dry mass than other treatments.

This chapter provides an overview of locoweed (such as Astragalus and Oxytropis spp.) fungal endophytes. The production of swainsonine (a polyhydroxy-alkaloid causing locoism symptoms), the genetics of these fungal endophytes (particularly that of Embellisia) and the environmental effects on the endophyte/locoweed system, are briefly discussed.