Currencies of Mutualisms: Sources of Alkaloid Genes in Vertically Transmitted Epichloae

Authors

Christopher L. Schardl, University of Kentucky
Carolyn A. Young, The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation
Juan Pan, University of Kentucky
Simona Florea, University of Kentucky
Johanna E. Takach, The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation
Daniel G. Panaccione, West Virginia University
Mark L. Farman, University of Kentucky
Jennifer S. Webb, University of Kentucky
Jolanta Jaromczyk, University of Kentucky
Nikki D. Charlton, The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation
Padmaja Nagabhyru, University of Kentucky
Li Chen, University of Kentucky
Chong Shi, University of Kentucky
Adrian Leuchtmann, ETH Zürich

Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2197-0842

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0406-8398

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3307-958X

N/A

https://orcid.org/0009-0007-8314-2635

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4159-164X

N/A

N/A

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9402-3294

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9580-5466

N/A

N/A

N/A

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9070-0902

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2013

College/Unit

Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design

Department/Program/Center

Division of Plant and Soil Sciences

Abstract

The epichloae (Epichloë and Neotyphodium species), a monophyletic group of fungi in the family Clavicipitaceae, are systemic symbionts of cool-season grasses (Poaceae subfamily Poöideae). Most epichloae are vertically transmitted in seeds (endophytes), and most produce alkaloids that attack nervous systems of potential herbivores. These protective metabolites include ergot alkaloids and indole-diterpenes (tremorgens), which are active in vertebrate systems, and lolines and peramine, which are more specific against invertebrates. Several Epichloë species have been described which are sexual and capable of horizontal transmission, and most are vertically transmissible also. Asexual epichloae are mainly or exclusively vertically transmitted, and many are interspecific hybrids with genomic contributions from two or three ancestral Epichloë species. Here we employ genome-scale analyses to investigate the origins of biosynthesis gene clusters for ergot alkaloids (EAS), indole-diterpenes (IDT), and lolines (LOL) in 12 hybrid species. In each hybrid, the alkaloid-gene and housekeeping-gene relationships were congruent. Interestingly, hybrids frequently had alkaloid clusters that were rare in their sexual ancestors. Also, in those hybrids that had multiple EAS,IDT or LOL clusters, one cluster lacked some genes, usually for late pathway steps. Possible implications of these findings for the alkaloid profiles and endophyte ecology are discussed.

Digital Commons Citation

Schardl, Christopher L.; Young, Carolyn A.; Pan, Juan; Florea, Simona; Takach, Johanna E.; Panaccione, Daniel G.; Farman, Mark L.; Webb, Jennifer S.; Jaromczyk, Jolanta; Charlton, Nikki D.; Nagabhyru, Padmaja; Chen, Li; Shi, Chong; and Leuchtmann, Adrian, "Currencies of Mutualisms: Sources of Alkaloid Genes in Vertically Transmitted Epichloae" (2013). Faculty & Staff Scholarship. 2619.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/faculty_publications/2619

Source Citation

Yang, T., Abdullah, A., Li, L., Rockett, I., Lin, Y., Ying, J., Guo, W., Wu, D., & Li, M. (2013). Public Place Smoke-Free Regulations, Secondhand Smoke Exposure and Related Beliefs, Awareness, Attitudes, and Practices among Chinese Urban Residents. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 10(6), 2370–2383. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph10062370

Comments

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License