How and why do endophytes produce plant secondary metabolites?

Fungal Endophytes as Efficient Sources of Plant-Derived Bioactive Compounds and Their Prospective Applications in Natural Product Drug Discovery: Insights, Avenues, and Challenges

“…Later, a series of works revealed that a reasonable number of plant-derived compounds are synthesized by endophytes rather than hosts [ 9 , 15 ]. However, there are unsettled and contradictory reports regarding the phylogenetic origin of genes related to the biosynthesis pathway of such plant-derived compounds in host plants and their microbial endophytes [ 16 ]. The above facts prompted us to use the word “plant/host-derived” rather than “plant/host-origin” for such compounds.…”

Deep learning approaches for natural product discovery from plant endophytic microbiomes

“…Further reviews have highlighted the wide array of therapeutics isolated from endophytes that mimic therapeutic plantderived secondary metabolites, e.g. antioxidants (Lapachol, Cajanin stillbene acid, Resveratrol, Rutin, Phillyrin), antihypercholesteromics (Rosuvastatin, Piperin, Chartarlactams, Phenlspirodrimanes, Lovastatin), antidiabetics (2,6-di-tert-butyl-p-cresol, Berberine, Cajanol, Aspergillusol A, Rohitukine, Helvolic acid), and further compounds identical to plant-derived anticancer compounds (Taxol, Hypericin, Vincristine, Vinblastine, Camptothecin, Podophyllotoxin, Kaempferol, Azadirachtin, Rohitukine) [189][190][191] possibly as an ecological survival strategy [168]. In a few cases, research shows endophytic compounds to be exceedingly rare, yet especially useful medically, such as the unique mellein compounds of Aspergillus flocculus (Tawfike et al, 2019).…”

“…Indeed, it is the rule, rather than the exception in microbial communities that multiple species may exchange a plethora metabolites – hence, classical models of inter-species metabolite exchange [ 167 ]. There has been speculation about the role of horizontal gene transfer as a key factor in the apparent convergence of endophyte and plant metabolites [ 168 ], but to date, this question has not been thoroughly examined. Co-regulation of independently evolved BGC homologs in plants and their microbes has also been described [ 169 ], but remains poorly understood.…”

Chemical composition and in vitro cytotoxicity of Corynespora olivacea (V18) associated with Vochysia divergens / Composição química e citotoxicidade in vitro de Corynespora olivacea (V18) associada a Vochysia divergens

“…They engage into various ecological relationships without causing visible symptoms of infection or morphological alterations in the host (Soares et al, 2016). Endophytic fungi confer the host plant with competitiveness, fitness, and resistance to biotic and abiotic stress (Naik 2019;Naik, Ravikanth, Dayanandan, 2019, Maia et al, 2020.…”