Asexual Epichloë Fungi—Obligate Mutualists

Caradus, J. R.; Card, Stuart D.; Hewitt, Katrin G.; Hume, D. E.; Johnson, Linda J.

doi:10.3390/encyclopedia1040083

Cited by 8 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 148 publications

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“…Cool-season grass species infected with fungal endophytes like Epichloë spp. can offer a promising option to deter insect herbivory (Caradus et al, 2021;Leuchtmann et al, 2014). Insect resistance mediated by endophytes has been documented against multiple agricultural insect pests of global importance (Bamisile et al, 2018;Popay & Hume, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Response of sod webworm Chrysoteuchia topiaria Zeller (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) to endophyte infection and mycotoxin profiles of cool‐season turfgrass species grown for seed in Oregon

Kaur,

Rivedal,

Intasin

et al. 2024

Crop Forage & Turfgrass Mgmt

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The subterranean sod webworm, also known as cranberry girdler (Chrysoteuchia topiaria), is one of the most damaging insect pests in cool‐season grass grown for seed crops in Oregon. Chemical control options are limited and require irrigation or rainfall for adequate insecticide incorporation to control C. topiaria larvae. Epichloë endophytes associated with cool‐season turfgrass species and their mycotoxin profiles are well‐documented in offering plant protection against invertebrates; these fungi may offer sustainable pest management tools. Our objectives were to characterize endophyte‐mediated resistance to C. topiaria in 19 commercially available cultivars of tall fescue, perennial ryegrass, and fine fescue grown for seed in Oregon. Endophyte status (presence and viability) of fungal endophytes and their mycotoxin profiles were measured using polymerase chain reaction, and liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry, respectively. No‐choice assays were conducted in the laboratory to measure the impact of endophyte status on C. topiaria larvae in two separate no‐choice experiments. Our results suggested that increased mortality of C. topiaria larvae (R2 = 0.8526, Experiment 1; R2 = 0.6628, Experiment 2) in tall fescue cultivars was most influenced by total peramine and ergot alkaloid, and total ergoline concentrations in Experiment 1 and 2, respectively. However, no significant effect on insect mortality was found in the perennial ryegrass and fine fescue cultivars included in this study. Overall, these findings suggest a viable grass–endophyte association can be utilized as a sustainable alternative to foliar insecticides for C. topiaria management in tall fescue seed crops.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Response of sod webworm Chrysoteuchia topiaria Zeller (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) to endophyte infection and mycotoxin profiles of cool‐season turfgrass species grown for seed in Oregon

Kaur,

Rivedal,

Intasin

et al. 2024

Crop Forage & Turfgrass Mgmt

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“…Commercial cultivars of perennial ryegrass and tall fescue are often intentionally infected with selected strains of the Epichloë sp. mutualistic endophytic fungi, which are known to increase the agronomic competitiveness of the host grass [ 16 , 17 ]. These selected Epichloë strains contribute to the productivity of pastoral agriculture in New Zealand, Australia and the USA [ 18 ] which is largely achieved through the in planta production of secondary metabolites, most notably alkaloids derived from these fungi [ 19 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Epichloë fungal endophyte interactions in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) modified to accumulate foliar lipids for increased energy density

Richardson,

de Bonth,

Beechey-Gradwell

et al. 2023

BMC Plant Biol

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Background Commercial cultivars of perennial ryegrass infected with selected Epichloë fungal endophytes are highly desirable in certain pastures as the resulting mutualistic association has the capacity to confer agronomic benefits (such as invertebrate pest deterrence) largely due to fungal produced secondary metabolites (e.g., alkaloids). In this study, we investigated T2 segregating populations derived from two independent transformation events expressing diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT) and cysteine oleosin (CO) genes designed to increase foliar lipid and biomass accumulation. These populations were either infected with Epichloë festucae var. lolii strain AR1 or Epichloë sp. LpTG-3 strain AR37 to examine relationships between the introduced trait and the endophytic association. Here we report on experiments designed to investigate if expression of the DGAT + CO trait in foliar tissues of perennial ryegrass could negatively impact the grass-endophyte association and vice versa. Both endophyte and plant characters were measured under controlled environment and field conditions. Results Expected relative increases in total fatty acids of 17–58% accrued as a result of DGAT + CO expression with no significant difference between the endophyte-infected and non-infected progeny. Hyphal growth in association with DGAT + CO expression appeared normal when compared to control plants in a growth chamber. There was no significant difference in mycelial biomass for both strains AR1 and AR37, however, Epichloë-derived alkaloid concentrations were significantly lower on some occasions in the DGAT + CO plants compared to the corresponding null-segregant progenies, although these remained within the reported range for bioactivity. Conclusions These results suggest that the mutualistic association formed between perennial ryegrass and selected Epichloë strains does not influence expression of the host DGAT + CO technology, but that endophyte performance may be reduced under some circumstances. Further investigation will now be required to determine the preferred genetic backgrounds for introgression of the DGAT + CO trait in combination with selected endophyte strains, as grass host genetics is a major determinant to the success of the grass-endophyte association in this species.

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After Air, Light, and Water, the Next Most Important Thing Is Grass: An Introduction to the Epichloë–Grass Symbiosis

Bastías,

Applegate,

Gundel

et al. 2024

The Mycota

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Asexual Epichloë Fungi—Obligate Mutualists

Cited by 8 publications

References 148 publications

Response of sod webworm Chrysoteuchia topiaria Zeller (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) to endophyte infection and mycotoxin profiles of cool‐season turfgrass species grown for seed in Oregon

Response of sod webworm Chrysoteuchia topiaria Zeller (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) to endophyte infection and mycotoxin profiles of cool‐season turfgrass species grown for seed in Oregon

Epichloë fungal endophyte interactions in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) modified to accumulate foliar lipids for increased energy density

After Air, Light, and Water, the Next Most Important Thing Is Grass: An Introduction to the Epichloë–Grass Symbiosis

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