Emerging Perspectives on the Ecological Roles of Endophytic Fungi in Tropical Plants

Endophytic fungi as biocontrol agents of Theobroma cacao pathogens

“…Generally, endophytes that were less abundant in cacao tissues in those surveys are relatively poor colonizers Van Bael et al, 2005). However, the common, good colonizers usually show less antibiosis activity than the less common, slower growing isolates, at least under the conditions we have used.…”

“…A high diversity of endophytic fungi has been found in stems, leaves, and pods of T. cacao, and T. gileri Evans et al, 2003;Rubini et al, 2005;Herre et al, 2005;Van Bael et al, 2005;Samuels unpublished). However, what their natural roles are or how they interact with the pathogens of cacao and other host plants is only beginning to be characterized and understood.…”

“…Studies of endophytic fungi in Theobroma cacao and other dicots reveal substantial differences with the grass endophyte systems (Arnold et al, 2000;Herre et al, 2005Herre et al, , 2007Van Bael et al, 2005). Specifically compared to grass endophytes, the endophytes associated with cacao and other tropical woody plants are highly diverse, horizontally transmitted (acquired from the environment), and show only some degree of host affinity (Herre et al, 1999(Herre et al, , 2007Arnold et al, 2000;Van Bael et al, 2005).…”

“…Specifically compared to grass endophytes, the endophytes associated with cacao and other tropical woody plants are highly diverse, horizontally transmitted (acquired from the environment), and show only some degree of host affinity (Herre et al, 1999(Herre et al, , 2007Arnold et al, 2000;Van Bael et al, 2005). In cacao, leaves and fruits are endophyte-free at emergence and accumulate diverse endophytes from spore rain in the environment.…”

“…Cacao tissues are heavily colonized in a short period of time (~2-3 weeks) by a group of endophyte species characterized by a few species that are consistently dominant members of the assemblage and a large number of exceedingly rare endophyte species Herre et al, 2005Herre et al, , 2007Van Bael et al, 2005). In T. cacao and Theobroma gileri at least two distinctive assemblages of endophytes can be found, one assemblage in leaves Van Bael et al, 2005) and a second assemblage in trunks (Evans et al, 2003; Samuels unpublished; see also Crozier et al, 2006). The endophytes found in leaves tend to be leafand twig-inhabiting fungi in genera such as Colletotrichum, Botryosphaeria, Xylaria, and Phomopsis, while the dominant endophytes of trunks tend to be in genera that are usually known as soil fungi (e.g., Clonostachys and Trichoderma).…”