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A Mixed Culture of Endophytic Fungi Increases Production of Antifungal Polyketides

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Abstract

Secondary metabolites produced by endophytic microorganisms can provide benefits to host plants, such as stimulating growth and enhancing the plant’s resistance toward biotic and abiotic factors. During its life, a host plant may be inhabited by many species of endophytes within a restrictive environment. This condition can stimulate secondary metabolite production that improves microbial competition and may consequently affect both the neighboring microorganisms and the host plant. The interactions between the endophytes that co-habit the same host plant have been studied. However, the effect of these interactions on the host plant has remained neglected. When using mixed microbial cultures, we found that the endophytic fungus Alternaria tenuissima significantly increased the production of some polyketides, including antifungal stemphyperylenol in response to the endophytic Nigrospora sphaerica. Biological activity assays revealed that stemphyperylenol can cause cytotoxic effects against N. sphaerica, although no phytotoxicity was observed in the host plant Smallanthus sonchifolius, even at concentrations much higher than those toxic to the fungus. The polyketides produced by A. tenuissima may be important for the ecological relationships between endophyte-endophyte and endophytes-host plants in the natural environment.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grant#2008/09540-0, São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP). We also thank “Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico” (CNPq), and “Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior” (CAPES) for financial support. F.O.C acknowledges the grants #2007/06057-3, 2009/17695-6 (FAPESP) awarded during her PhD studies. This research is part of the “Instituto Nacional de Biotecnologia Estrutural e Química Medicinal em Doenças Infecciosas (INCT-INBEQMeDI)”, “Núcleo de Apoio à Pesquisa em Produtos Naturais e Sintéticos” (NAP-NPNNS, USP) and Center for Innovation in Biodiversity and Drug Discovery (CEPID-CIBFar, grant#2013/07600-3 FAPESP).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida do Café, s/n, 14040-903, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil

    Fernanda O. Chagas & Mônica T. Pupo

  2. Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes, 3900, 14040-901, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil

    Luís G. Dias

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  1. Fernanda O. Chagas
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  2. Luís G. Dias
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Correspondence to Mônica T. Pupo.

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Chagas, F.O., Dias, L.G. & Pupo, M.T. A Mixed Culture of Endophytic Fungi Increases Production of Antifungal Polyketides. J Chem Ecol 39, 1335–1342 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-013-0351-7

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