Endophytic fungi – Page 5

Production of fungal hypocrellin photosensitizers: Exploiting bambusicolous fungi and elicitation strategies in mycelium cultures

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Hypocrellins are powerful compounds from fungi that can treat cancers and infections through light-activated therapy. Since wild sources are limited, scientists are growing these fungi in laboratory cultures and using special techniques to boost production. This review summarizes the best methods for producing hypocrellins, from choosing the right fungal strains to optimizing growing conditions and using natural stimulants to increase yields.

Local Fungi Promote Plant Growth by Positively Affecting Rhizosphere Metabolites to Drive Beneficial Microbial Assembly

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Researchers tested local fungal species from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to help plants grow in damaged mining areas at extremely high altitudes. The local fungi were more effective than commercial bacterial products at promoting plant growth and creating healthy soil microbiomes. These fungi work by producing special chemicals that attract beneficial microorganisms while preventing harmful fungi from growing, making them ideal for restoring ecosystems in cold, high-altitude mining regions.

Alliance Between Conifer Trees and Endophytic Fungi Against Insect Defoliators

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Researchers discovered that helpful fungi living inside white spruce needles protect the trees from damaging budworm insects. These fungi work in two ways: they directly poison the insects that try to eat the needles, and they also encourage the trees to produce more of their own chemical defenses. This partnership between fungi and trees demonstrates an important co-evolutionary relationship where all three organisms—fungi, trees, and insects—influence each other over time.

Isolation and characterization of a new Leptobacillium species promoting tomato plant growth

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Researchers discovered a new beneficial fungus called Leptobacillium that lives inside tomato plant roots without causing harm. When tomato seeds were treated with this fungus, the plants grew better, had more chlorophyll in their leaves, and produced tastier fruits with higher levels of lycopene, a beneficial compound in tomatoes. This discovery suggests the fungus could be used to improve tomato crop production naturally, reducing the need for chemical inputs and helping plants cope with heat stress.

Fungal Assemblages in Northern Elms—Impacts of Host Identity and Health, Growth Environment, and Presence of Dutch Elm Disease

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This study examined the fungi living in elm tree shoots to understand how different elm species, tree health, and location affect fungal communities. Researchers found that diseased elms had more diverse fungi than healthy ones, and that a fungus called Sphaeropsis ulmicola may be as damaging as the classic Dutch elm disease pathogen. Urban elm trees hosted more different types of fungi than rural ones, suggesting that city conditions influence which fungi can grow on elms.

Secretion of antifungal metabolites contributes to the antagonistic activity of Talaromyces oaxaquensis

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Researchers discovered that a fungus called Talaromyces oaxaquensis, found naturally in banana plants, produces powerful antifungal chemicals that kill the banana disease pathogen Fusarium oxysporum. The study identified specific compounds, particularly one called 15G256α, that damage the fungal cell wall of the pathogen. This discovery suggests a natural way to protect banana crops from a devastating disease that threatens global banana production.

Extraction and Identification of the Bioactive Metabolites Produced by Curvularia inaequalis, an Endophytic Fungus Collected in Iran from Echium khuzistanicum Mozaff

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Scientists discovered a beneficial fungus living inside the leaves of an Iranian medicinal plant. They isolated three compounds from this fungus, with the main compound showing powerful activity against drug-resistant bacteria and plant-damaging fungi. This discovery suggests that beneficial fungi within plants could be valuable sources for developing new medicines and natural pesticides.

Study of the Antagonism of Biocontrol Strains Against the Blue-Stain Fungus of Rubberwood

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Rubberwood commonly develops blue staining from fungi, which reduces its value. Scientists isolated two beneficial fungi from rubberwood that can prevent this staining by competing with the harmful fungus. Testing showed that one beneficial fungus, Trichoderma reesei, works better than the other and could be used as a natural treatment to protect rubberwood from blue staining without damaging the wood.

Morphological and Phylogenetic Characterization of Endophytic Fungi Isolated from Brown Algae (Phaeophyceae) in Korea

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Researchers in Korea discovered three previously unknown fungal species living inside brown seaweed called Sargassum. These fungi were identified using genetic analysis and microscopy. The discovery suggests that seaweed hosts diverse fungal communities that could have useful properties, such as producing compounds with antimicrobial and anti-cancer potential. This research expands our understanding of marine fungal diversity and its possible applications in medicine and biotechnology.

Genome sequences of three genetic lineages of the fungus Nothophaeocryptopus gaeumannii, the causal agent of Swiss needle cast on Douglas-fir trees

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Researchers sequenced the complete genomes of three different genetic strains of a fungus that causes Swiss needle cast, a disease affecting Douglas-fir trees in the Pacific Northwest. These fungal strains differ in their ability to adapt to different environmental conditions. The high-quality genome information will help scientists understand why these strains are different and how they might spread under changing climate conditions.

Research Keyword: Endophytic fungi