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DOI: 10.1055/s-0035-1556159
Biologically active secondary metabolites from epiphytic and endophytic fungi
Plant-associated fungi, and in particular fungal endophytes, are a prolific source for novel secondary metabolites. However, random isolation/screening approaches of these organisms may easily lead to disappointing results because many species have already been screened or just represent the asexual states in the life cycle of well-known species.
Our studies on the Xylariaceae have shown that there is an alternative: Using chemotaxonomic and ecologial data, as well as molecular phylogeny, as pre-selection criteria has resulted in a rather high discovery rate of novel metabolites. We found various strains that are extremely creative metabolite producers. As exemplified by Hypoxylon rickii, extensive optimisation of culture conditions and subsequent scale up of production may even result in the discovery of several dozens of new compounds from a single strain. We are also investigating ecological interactions between fungal endophytes, their host-specific insect vectors and their host plants, where certain secondary metabolites seem to play a pivotal role. Moreover, we are targeting poorly studied plant-associated fungal groups with peculiar ecology, such as the epiphytic capnodialean sooty blotch and flyspeck fungi, and even the Ash dieback pathogen Hymenoscyphus fraxineus.
Numerous examples of our recent research will be shown to demonstrate that biodiversity can indeed be translated into chemical diversity if taxonomists, ecologists and natural product chemists are working together more intensively than this used to be the case in the past.