Diversity of epochloe endophytes of a native forage grass from Argentina and detection of alkaloid biosynthesis genes

IANNONE L.J; PINGET D.; ROSSI SUSANA; DE BATTISTA J.P.; YOUNG C.A; SCHARDL C.L.

Buenos Aires

Conferencia; Molcular Breeding of Forage and Turf; 2010

Epichloë endophytes have been employed in plant breeding programs because of the eneficial effects these fungi have on plant growth and resistance to herbivores. Resistance to herbivores is mediated by the production of different alkaloids by the endophytes. The alkaloids lolines and peramine are mainly toxic to insects, ergot alkaloids and lolitrems causes fescue toxicoses and ryegrass staggers respectively in cattle. The genes involved in the biosynthesis of the different alkaloids are organized in clusters and their functions inthe biosynthetic pathways of lolines, ergot alkaloid and lolitrems have been elucidated in the last years (Spiering et al. 2005, Young et al. 2006, Lorentz et al 2007). The use of endophytes in plant breeding programs require the previous knowledge of the effect that endophytes have on plant performance and their capabilities to produce different alkaloids. In this sense the aim of this work was to characterize the diversity of endophytes in the native forage Bromus auleticus, to evaluate their effects on plant growth and their potential to produce the different alkaloids.