Fungal alkaloids mediate defense against bruchid beetles in field populations of an arborescent ipomoea

Certain morning glory trees form partnerships with special fungi that produce protective chemicals called alkaloids. These chemicals are made by the fungi and travel through the plant to the seeds, where they protect them from seed-eating beetles. Trees with more effective fungal partners produce higher levels of these protective chemicals and suffer less damage from the beetles, demonstrating a remarkable example of how plants and fungi work together to survive in nature.