Chemoprofile and functional diversity of fungal and bacterial endophytes and role of ecofactors - A review

Abstract

Endophytes represent a hidden world within plants. Almost all plants that are studied harbor one or more endophytes, which help their host to survive against pathogens and changing adverse environmental conditions. Fungal and bacterial endophytes with distinct ecological niches show important biological activities and ecological functions. Their unique physiological and biochemical characteristics lead to the production of niche specific secondary metabolites that may have pharmacological potential. Identification of specific secondary metabolites in adverse environment can also help us in understanding mechanisms of host tolerance against stress condition such as biological invasions, salt, drought, temperature. These metabolites include micro as well as macromolecules, which they produce through least studied yet surprising mechanisms like xenohormesis, toxin-antitoxin system, quorum sensing. Therefore, future studies should focus on unfolding all the underlying molecular mechanisms as well as the impact of physical and biochemical environment of a specific host over endophytic function and metabolite elicitation. Need of the hour is to reshape the focus of research over endophytes and scientifically drive their ecological role toward prospective pharmacological as well as eco-friendly biological applications. This may help to manage these endophytes especially from untapped ecoregions as a useful undying biological tool to meet the present challenges as well as lay a strong and logical basis for any impending challenges.

Distinct Microbial Community of Phyllosphere Associated with Five Tropical Plants on Yongxing Island, South China Sea

“…Dothidiomycetes, Sordariomycetes, Leotiomycetes and Eurotiomycetes belonging to the phylum Ascomycota were both found in five plant species in this study, Yao et al [35] found endophytic and epiphytic were dominated by Dothideomycetes and Tremellomycetes in a tropical mangrove ecosystem. Some members, like Alternaria , Aspergillus , Penicillium , Fusarium , are considered as endophytes supported by various investigations [36,37], which were both detected in the five plant species of this study. This phenomenon further emphasizes that there is an overlap between epiphytic and endophytic fungal communities [38].…”

Rhizosphere microbial community enrichment processes in healthy and diseased plants: implications of soil properties on biomarkers

“…The infection by PVY results in a wide range of symptoms, such as vein necrosis and systematic mottles, with necrotic ringspots reducing crop yield and quality substantially (Chen et al, 2017 ). Upon infection, plants activate their defense mechanisms by producing various resistant substances, including phytoalexin chitinase, peroxidase, and plant antitoxin to enhance their tolerance (Shah et al, 2017 ). Furthermore, the presence of PVY in a host organism leads to the observation of numerous morphological, physiological, and histological alterations (Hinrichs-Berger et al, 1999 ).…”

Diversity and Biological Activities of Endophytic Fungi from the Flowers of the Medicinal Plant Vernonia anthelmintica

“…However, the exploration of the complex biosynthesis of the metabolites of medicinal plants with their endophytic microorganisms has been insufficiently investigated. Endophytic fungi are an essential biotechnological source because they can be involved in the production of a pharmacologically active and structurally diverse range of secondary metabolites together with the host plant and might even be the sole producer [ 15 , 16 , 17 ]. Numerous bioactive natural compounds with antimicrobial [ 18 , 19 ], anti-inflammatory [ 20 ], cytotoxic [ 21 , 22 ], antioxidant [ 23 ], antidiabetic [ 24 ] and acetylcholinesterase [ 25 ] inhibitory activity have been isolated from endophytic fungi.…”