Search

Itajahya rosea was found growing in association with Leucaena leucocephala plants at Savitribai Phule Pune University campus in India. The species identity was confirmed by phylogenetic analysis based on ITS and LSU regions of rDNA, wherein, our fugus was placed along with I. rosea in phylogenetic tree. It represents first record of I. rosea from India. Frequent visitation by Drosophila species on I. rosea fruiting body particularly on gleba was observed. The Drosophila got attracted to the detached gleba under the laboratory conditions and even sometimes, they prefer to sit over the gleba as compare to their food banana. It suggested that I. rosea gleba or pseudostipe produces some compounds for attraction and feeding behavior of Drosophila species. Therefore, we characterized the volatile attractants produced by gleba and pseudostipe of I. rosea by GC-MS analysis. Nineteen compounds were identified from gleba while nine compounds were recovered from the pseudostipe. Out of them, blends of three abundant odor producing volatile compounds were reported namely, Hexadecane, Pentadecane and Nonadecane, which are responsible for attraction of Drosophila toward the gleba. Three fatty acids namely 9,12-octadecadienoic acid (Z,Z), hexadecanoic acid and benzoic acid ethyl ester produced are served as an appetitive signal through olfactory response of Drosophila, so the flies were feed on the gleba. Two pheromones’ compounds, heneicosane and (+)-(5S,9S)-5,9-dimethylpentadecane, were also reported in pseudostipe and gleba, respectively, which play a role in Drosophila for breeding. Our study highlights an intriguing chemical ecology of fungus–Drosophila interaction.

Fungal endophytes, establish an endosymbiotic relationship with plants. Endophytic fungi are considered to grow internally with a healthy and asymptomatic association with the host. However, the existence of plant species without the association of endophytes has not been studied yet. Endophytic fungi have the ability to produce high-value bioactive molecules. Most fungal endophytic research draws attention to screening endophytes for the presence of novel as well as some high-value biomolecules. So far, medicinal plants have been targeted to directly isolate the bioactive molecules. But, there has been a major shift from plants to fungi for new drug sources due to the production of novel compounds in plants that were associated with fungal endophytes. As natural bioactive products are of significant importance to chemists and biologists, their discovery has regained interest due to structural diversity, low production cost, and multiple properties of active compounds for the treatment of various diseases. This review highlights the endophytes that were reported for the presence of host-independent and host-dependent production of bioactive molecules. Also, techniques such as cocultivation/fermentation as well as epigenetic modulations are also discussed as potential strategies to enhance the production of bioactive products.

Sclerotium rolfsii (Sacc.) is the causal agent of stem-rot of groundnut plants which is an important damaging soil-borne root pathogen worldwide. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi ( Glomus fasciculatum ) and Trichoderma asperelloides have shown potential bio-control agent properties against several soil-borne plant pathogens. Interactions between G. fasciculatum , T. asperelloides and soil-borne pathogen S. rolfsii were investigated in this present pot culture experiment. The inoculation of G. fasciculatum and T. asperelloides reduced the severity of disease but their combinations were most effective in reducing harmful effects of S. rolfsii . The arbuscule percentage of AM fungi was affected by presence of T. asperelloides but chlorophyll content got increased by AM fungi or T. asperelloides treatments during S. rolfsii attack. The defense related physiological, biochemical and anti-oxidant activities observed in roots of groundnut plant significantly increased by single inoculation of AM fungi or Trichoderma . But, the combined inoculations of AM fungi and Trichoderma species showed the highest defense related activities. Moreover, single application of either AM fungi or Trichoderma species showed potential for the biocontrol of soil-borne plant pathogen but their combined application attributed most substantial inhibition in development of pathogen

Gmelina arborea Roxb. is medicinally and economically important tree species were selected for study. An experiment was conducted to determine the influence of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus Glomus fasciculatum on salt stress tolerance of tree species Gmelina arborea. Mycorrhizal and nonmycorrhizal seedlings were treated with 100 mM and 200 mM concentration of NaCl. G. fasciculatum treated plant showed increase in fresh and dry weight, greater percentage of mycorrhizal colonization, higher accumulation of proline and chlorophyll content with increasing levels of salinity. G. fasciculatum colonization significantly increased tolerance of salinity, acid phosphatases, and Proline content and also antioxidant enzymes like peroxidase, catalase and superoxide dismutase at all levels of salinity treatments of Gmelina plants in comparison with non-mycorrhizal salinity treated plants. These results demonstrate that AM fungus (G. fasciculatum) is very effective in strengthening the tolerance of Gmelina arborea grown in arid and semi arid areas.

AM symbiosis reducing damage caused by soilborne pathogen and abiotic stresses and its protection is modulated by soil and other environmental conditions. Drought stress is one of the abiotic stresses in most areas of central Maharashtra (India) and lots of tree species survive in this drought-prone area; the present investigation deals with qualitative and quantitative distribution of AM fungi in rhizosphere soil of three tree species from three localities in the dry land area of central Maharashtra, the mycorrhizal population with respect to its variation in the month of May to October and to study the physicochemical properties of rhizospheric soil. The spore population was very high in the months of June to September in all three localities studied. The extent of colonisation by AM fungi was moderately high (70–100%). During this season there was positive correlation between AM colonisation and spore population in these months because of moderate rainfall. The species of Gigaspora and Acaulospora wer...

Potential of Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi in alleviating adverse salt effects on growth was tested in garlic (Allium sativum L.). Towards this objective we analyzed the AM root colonization and the activities of various antioxidant enzymes like peroxidase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase at 0, 100, 200 and 300 mM salinity levels. The activities of all the antioxidant enzymes studied were found to be increased in AM garlic plants. Antioxidant activity was maximum in 100 and 200 mM NaCl (sodium chloride) in AM and non-AM plants. Proline accumulation was induced by salt levels and it was more in leaves as well as roots of AM plants as compared to non-AM plants, this indicating that mycorrhiza reduced salt injury. Growth parameters of garlic plants like leaf area, plant fresh and dry weight and antioxidant enzyme activities were higher at moderate salinity level. This work suggests that the mycorrhiza helps garlic plants to perform better under moderate salinity level by enhancing the antioxidant activity and proline content as compared to non-AM plants.