Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38320313›Full record

ReviewAnnals of botany2024

Anti-herbivory defences delivered by Epichloë fungal endophytes: a quantitative review of alkaloid concentration variation among hosts and plant parts.

Florencia M Realini, Víctor M Escobedo, Andrea C Ueno, Daniel A Bastías, Christopher L Schardl, Fernando Biganzoli, Pedro E Gundel

Open access · bronzeAbstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Annals of botany, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
13.4field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 13 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Frontiers in microbiology · 2026
    Review
  3. Article
  4. Chemical composition's effect onOpen life sciences · 2024
    Article
  5. Review
  6. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 5 institutions in 4 countries.

Florencia M RealiniIFEVA, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina.ORCID 0000-0002-9527-1190
Víctor M EscobedoInstituto de Investigación Interdisciplinaria (I3), Universidad de Talca, Campus Talca, Chile.ORCID 0000-0003-2673-3803
Andrea C UenoIFEVA, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina.ORCID 0000-0002-7853-5270
Daniel A BastíasAgResearch Limited, Grasslands Research Centre, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand.ORCID 0000-0002-0522-5538
Christopher L SchardlDepartment of Plant Pathology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-2197-0842
Fernando BiganzoliDepartamento de Métodos Cuantitativos y Sistemas de Información, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.ORCID 0000-0003-0004-5295
Pedro E GundelIFEVA, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina.ORCID 0000-0003-3246-0282
University of Talca · CLAgResearch · NZConsejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas · ARUniversidad de Buenos Aires · ARUniversity of Kentucky · US

Funding

Agencia Nacional de Investigaciones of Argentina PICT-2018-01593Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico of Chile FONDECYT-2021-1210908
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND

aimsIn the subfamily Poöideae (Poaceae), certain grass species possess anti-herbivore alkaloids synthesized by fungal endophytes that belong to the genus Epichloë (Clavicipitaceae). The protective role of these symbiotic endophytes can vary, depending on alkaloid concentrations within specific plant-endophyte associations and plant parts.

methodsWe conducted a literature review to identify articles containing alkaloid concentration data for various plant parts in six important pasture species, Lolium arundinaceum, Lolium perenne, Lolium pratense, Lolium multiflorum|Lolium rigidum and Festuca rubra, associated with their common endophytes. We considered the alkaloids lolines (1-aminopyrrolizidines), peramine (pyrrolopyrazines), ergovaline (ergot alkaloids) and lolitrem B (indole-diterpenes). While all these alkaloids have shown bioactivity against insect herbivores, ergovaline and lolitrem B are harmful for mammals. KEY

resultsLoline alkaloid levels were higher in the perennial grasses L. pratense and L. arundinaceum compared to the annual species L. multiflorum and L. rigidum, and higher in reproductive tissues than in vegetative structures. This is probably due to the greater biomass accumulation in perennial species that can result in higher endophyte mycelial biomass. Peramine concentrations were higher in L. perenne than in L. arundinaceum and not affected by plant part. This can be attributed to the high within-plant mobility of peramine. Ergovaline and lolitrem B, both hydrophobic compounds, were associated with plant parts where fungal mycelium is usually present, and their concentrations were higher in plant reproductive tissues. Only loline alkaloid data were sufficient for below-ground tissue analyses and concentrations were lower than in above-ground parts.

conclusionsOur study provides a comprehensive synthesis of fungal alkaloid variation across host grasses and plant parts, essential for understanding the endophyte-conferred defence extent. The patterns can be understood by considering endophyte growth within the plant and alkaloid mobility. Our study identifies research gaps, including the limited documentation of alkaloid presence in roots and the need to investigate the influence of different environmental conditions.

Indexed as

AlkaloidsEndophytesEpichloeFestucaLoliumPolyaminesErgotaminesHerbivoryHeterocyclic Compounds, 2-RingIndole AlkaloidsMycotoxinsPlant Defense Against HerbivoryPoaceaeSymbiosisAlkaloidsErgotaminesergovalineHeterocyclic Compounds, 2-RingIndole Alkaloidslolinelolitrem BMycotoxinsperaminePolyaminesdefensive mutualismgrassherbivory resistanceplant–endophyte interactionplant–herbivore interactionsecondary metabolitesSymbiosis

Identifiers

PMID38320313
PMCPMC11037487
OpenAlexW4391579892

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.