EndophyticPenicilliumspecies secretes mycophenolic acid that inhibits the growth of phytopathogenic fungi

Abstract

The worldwide demand for reduced and restricted use of pesticides in agriculture due to serious environmental effects, health risks and the development of pathogen resistance calls for the discovery of new bioactive compounds. In the medical field, antibiotic‐resistant microorganisms have become a major threat to man, increasing mortality. Endophytes are endosymbiotic microorganisms that inhabit plant tissues without causing any visible damage to their host. Many endophytes secrete secondary metabolites with biological activity against a broad range of pathogens, making them potential candidates for novel drugs and alternative pesticides of natural origin. We isolated endophytes from wild plants in Israel, focusing on endophytes that secrete secondary metabolites with biological activity. We isolated 302 different endophytes from 30 different wild plants; 70 of them exhibited biological activity against phytopathogens. One biologically active fungal endophyte from the genus Penicillium, isolated from a squill (Urginea maritima) leaf, was further examined. Chloroform‐based extraction of its growth medium was similarly active against phytopathogens. High‐performance liquid chromatography separation followed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis revealed a single compound—mycophenolic acid—as the main contributor to the biological activity of the organic extract.

Methionine biosynthetic genes and methionine sulfoxide reductase A are required for Rhizoctonia solaniAG1‐IA to cause sheath blight disease in rice

“…The exogenous spray of a methionine biosynthesis inhibitor, MTX (Scott et al., 2020 ) prevented disease, while methionine treatment enhanced disease severity. Although it remains to be investigated whether methionine can influence plant‐associated microbial populations, that otherwise have a profuse impact on plant health (Azar et al., 2023 ; Das et al., 2021 ; Fitzpatrick et al., 2020 ; Noel et al., 2023 ; Singh, Agrawal, & Bednarek, 2023 ; Singh, Vaishnav, et al., 2023 ). However, we observed that under axenic conditions (during growth in minimal media) methionine treatment facilitated intricate and dense hyphal branching that resemble infection cushions, characteristic structures formed during the necrotrophic phase of R. solani infection in rice (Ghosh et al., 2017 ; Singh et al., 2003 ).…”

The Endophytic Microbiome of Wild Grapevines Vitis amurensis Rupr. and Vitis coignetiae Pulliat Growing in the Russian Far East

“…It has been hypothesized that endophytes that are recoverable from crops’ wild relatives would be more compatible with the related crops for both inoculation and colonization purposes. For example, the endophytic Penicillium species, isolated from a squill ( Urginea maritima ) leaf, secretes mycophenolic acid, which inhibits the growth of phytopathogenic fungi [ 8 ]. It has been shown that the fungal endophyte Epichloë bromicola, derived from wild barley ( Hordeum brevisubulatum ), has the potential to increase salt tolerance in cultivated barley under salt stress [ 9 ].…”