Fungal endophytes and bioprospecting

T. S. Suryanarayanan, N. Thirunavukkarasu, M. B. Govindarajulu, F. Sasse, R. Jansen, T. S. Murali

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

198 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Horizontally transmitted fungal endophytes are an ecological group of fungi, mostly belonging to the Ascomycota, that reside in the aerial tissues and roots of plants without inducing any visual symptoms of their presence. These fungi appear to have a capacity to produce an array of secondary metabolites exhibiting a variety of biological activity. Although the ability of fungi to produce unique bioactive metabolites is well known, endophytes have not been exploited, perhaps because we are only beginning to understand their distribution and biology. This review emphasizes the need to routinely include endophytic fungi in the screening of organisms for bioactive metabolites and novel drugs; it also underscores the need to use information obtained concerning fungal secondary metabolite production from other groups of fungi for a targeted screening approach.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)9-19
Number of pages11
JournalFungal Biology Reviews
Volume23
Issue number1-2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 02-2009

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Microbiology
  • Plant Science

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Fungal endophytes and bioprospecting'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this