Endophytes are microbial entities that live within living tissues of plants. In most cases their relationship with the host plant is symbiotic and probably mutualistic. Many are capable of synthesizing bio-active compounds that can be used by the plant for defense against pathogenic fungi and bacteria. Some of these compounds have proven useful for novel drug discovery. By encouraging the endophytes to grow outside the plant in nutrient rich media, it is possible to harvest the bio-active compounds that they produce. However, much needs to be discovered and understood about the host/endophyte relationship before we can fully utilize endophytes in the discovery of medicinally important compounds.
StoneJ. K., BaconC. W., and WhiteJ. F. (2000) An overview of endophytic microbes: endophytism defined. In: BaconC. W., and WhiteJ. F. (eds), Microbial Endophytes, chap. 1, pp. 3–29. Marcel Dekker: New York.
2.
PetriniO. (1991) Fungal endophytes of tree leaves. In: AndrewsJ. H., and HiranoS. S. (eds), Microbial Ecology of Leaves, pp. 179–187. Springer-Verlag, New York.
3.
StrobelG. A. (2002) Rainforest Endophytes and Bioactive Products. Crit. Rev. Biotechnol., 22, 315–333.
4.
HawksworthD. L., and RossmanA. Y. (1997) Where are all the undescribed fungi?Phytopathology, 87, 888–891.
5.
FreemanE.M. (1904) The seed fungus of Lolium temulentum L. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. (Biol), 196, 1–27.
6.
BultmanT. L., and MurphyJ. C. (2000) Do fungal endophytes mediate wound-induced resistance? In: BaconC. W., and WhiteJ. F. (eds) Microbial Endophytes, chap.16, 421–452. Marcel Dekker, New York.
7.
ClayK. (1988) Fungal endophytes of grasses: a defensive mutualism between plants and fungi. Ecology, 69, 10–16.
8.
RedlinS. C., and CarrisL. M. (1996) (eds) Endophytic Fungi in Grasses and Woody Plants: Systemics, Ecology and Evolution, APS Press, St Paul.
9.
PennycookS. R., and SamuelsG. J. (1985) Botryosphaeria and Fusicoccum species associated with ripe fruit rot of Actinidia deliciosa (kiwifruit) in New Zealand. Mycotaxon, 24, 445–458.
10.
BaconC. W., and De BattistaJ. (1991) Endophytic fungi of grasses. In: AroraD. K., RaiB., MukerjiK. G., and KnudsenG R. (eds), Handbook of Applied Mycology, Vol 1, Soil and Plants, pp 231–356. New York, Marcel Dekker.
11.
HataK., FutaiK., and TsudaM. (1998) Seasonal and needle age-dependent changes of the endophytic mycobiota in Pinus thunbergii and Pinus densiflora needles.Can. J. Bot., 76, 245–250.
12.
StrobelG A., DaisyB., CastilloU., and HarperJ. (2004) Natural products from endophytic microorganisms. J. Nat. Prod., 67, 257–268.
13.
BillsG., DombrowskiA., PelaezF., PolishookJ., and AnZ. (2002) Recent and future discoveries of pharmacologically active metabolites from tropical fungi. In: WatlingR., FranklandJ. C., AinsworthA. M., IsaacS., and RobinsonC. H. (eds), Tropical Mycology: Micromyceyes, Vol 2, pp. 165–194. CABI Publishing, New York.
14.
OwenN. L. unpublished work.
15.
BoursnellJ. G. (1950) The Symbiotic seed-borne fungus in the Cistaceae.Annls Bot., 14, 217–243.
16.
KydeM. M., and GouldA. B. (2000) Mycorrhizal Endosymbiosis. In: BaconC. W., and WhiteJ. F. (eds), Microbial Endophytes, Chap. 8, 161–198. Marcel Dekker, New York.
17.
SchultzB., RommertA. -K., DammannU., AustH. -J., and StrackD. (1999) The endophyte-host interaction: a balanced antagonism?Mycol Res., 105, 1275–1283.
18.
SylviaD. M., and SinclairW. A. (1983) Phenolic compounds and resistance to fungal pathogens induced in primary roots of Douglas-fir seedlings by the ecto-mycorrhizal fungus Laccaria laccata.Phytopathology, 73, 390–397.
19.
BoddeyR. M., UrquiagaS., ReisV., and DobereinerJ. (1991) Biological nitrogen fixation associated with sugarcane, Plant Soil, 137, 111–117.
20.
HermanP. (2000) Biodiversity and evolution in mycorrhizae of the desert. In: BaconC. W., and WhiteJ. F. (eds), Microbial Endophytes, chap. 7, pp. 141–160. Marcel Dekker, New York.
21.
SchulzeE. -D. (1991) Water and nutrient interactions with plant water stress. In: MooneyH. A., PellE. J., and RoyJ. (eds), Response of Plants to Multiple Stresses, pp. 89–101. Academic Press, San Diego.
22.
BaconC. W. (1993) Abiotic stress tolerances (moisture, nutrients) and photo-synthesis in endophyte-infected tall fescue. Agricul. Ecosyst.Environ., 44, 123–141.
23.
JoostR. E., SharpR. E., and HolderT. L. (1993) Involvement of the Acremonium-endophyte in ABA-mediated gas exchange responses in tall fescue. Tall Fescue Toxicosis workshop, Atlanta, GA. SERAIEG, 8, 41–42.
24.
BoutonJ. H., GatesR.N., BeleskyD. P., and OwsleyM. (1993) Yield and persistence of tall fescue in the southeastern coastal plain after removal of its endophyte. Agron. J., 81, 220–223.
25.
TanR. X., and ZouW. X. (2001) Endophytes: a rich source of functional metabolites. Nat. Prod. Rep., 18, 448–459.
26.
AhmadS., GovindarajanJ. M., FunkC. R., and Johnson-CicaleseJ. M. (1985) Fatality of house crickets on perennial ryegrass infected by fungal endophyte. Entomol. Experiment. Applic., 39, 183–190.
27.
HuangJ. -S. (1986) Ultrastructure of bacterial penetration in plants. Ann. Rev. Phytopathol., 24, 141–157.
28.
LiJ.Y., SidhuR. S., FordE. J., LongD. M., HessW. M., and StrobelG.A. (1998) The induction of taxol production in the endophytic fungus: Periconia sp from Torreya grandifolia.J. Industr.Microbiol. Biotechnol., 20, 259–264.
29.
StrobelG. A., LiJ. Y., SugawaraF., KoshinoH., HarperJ., and HessW. M. (1999) Oocydin A, a chlorinated macrocyclic lactone with potent anti-oomycete activity from Serratia marcesens.Microbiology, 145, 3557–3564.
ZouW. X., MengJ. C., LuH., ChenG. X., ShiG. X., ZhangT. Y., and TanR. X. (2000) J. Nat. Prod., 63, 1529–1530.
32.
TagaM. E., and BasslerB. L. (2003) Chemical communication in bacteria. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 100, 14549–14554.
33.
AchenbachJ. (2004) National Geographic, February, 205 #2, 1.
34.
BeleskyD. P., and MalinowskiD. P. (2000) Abiotic stresses and morphologi-cal plasticity and chemical adaptations of Neotyphodium-infected tall fescue plants. In: BaconC. W., and WhiteJ. F. (eds), Microbial Endophytes, Chap. 17, 455–484. Marcel Dekker, New York.
