Fungal secondary metabolite dynamics in fungus-grazer interactions: novel insights and unanswered questions
In response to fungivore grazing fungi are assumed to have evolved secondary metabolite-based defense mechanisms that harm and repel grazers, and hence provide a benefit to the metabolite producer. However, since research into the ecological meaning of highly diverse fungal secondary metabolites is...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2015-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Microbiology |
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| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fmicb.2014.00788/full |
| _version_ | 1818928556895371264 |
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| author | Marko eRohlfs |
| author_facet | Marko eRohlfs |
| author_sort | Marko eRohlfs |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In response to fungivore grazing fungi are assumed to have evolved secondary metabolite-based defense mechanisms that harm and repel grazers, and hence provide a benefit to the metabolite producer. However, since research into the ecological meaning of highly diverse fungal secondary metabolites is still in its infancy, many central questions still remain. Which components of the enormous metabolite diversity of fungi act as direct chemical defense mechanisms against grazers? Is the proposed chemical defense of fungi induced by grazer attack? Which role do volatile compounds play in communicating noxiousness to grazers? What is the relative impact of grazers and that of interactions with competing microbes on the evolution of fungal secondary metabolism? Here, I briefly summarize and discuss the results of the very few studies that have tried to tackle some of these questions by (i) using secondary metabolite mutant fungi in controlled experiments with grazers, and by (ii) investigating fungal secondary metabolism as a flexible means to adapt to grazer-rich niches. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T03:30:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c40814101477439b8d52417a580be8c9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-302X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T03:30:48Z |
| publishDate | 2015-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Microbiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-c40814101477439b8d52417a580be8c92022-12-21T19:55:00ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Microbiology1664-302X2015-01-01510.3389/fmicb.2014.00788125965Fungal secondary metabolite dynamics in fungus-grazer interactions: novel insights and unanswered questionsMarko eRohlfs0Georg-August-University GoettingenIn response to fungivore grazing fungi are assumed to have evolved secondary metabolite-based defense mechanisms that harm and repel grazers, and hence provide a benefit to the metabolite producer. However, since research into the ecological meaning of highly diverse fungal secondary metabolites is still in its infancy, many central questions still remain. Which components of the enormous metabolite diversity of fungi act as direct chemical defense mechanisms against grazers? Is the proposed chemical defense of fungi induced by grazer attack? Which role do volatile compounds play in communicating noxiousness to grazers? What is the relative impact of grazers and that of interactions with competing microbes on the evolution of fungal secondary metabolism? Here, I briefly summarize and discuss the results of the very few studies that have tried to tackle some of these questions by (i) using secondary metabolite mutant fungi in controlled experiments with grazers, and by (ii) investigating fungal secondary metabolism as a flexible means to adapt to grazer-rich niches.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fmicb.2014.00788/fullAspergillussecondary metabolitesfungivoryInducible resistancechemical defence regulation |
| spellingShingle | Marko eRohlfs Fungal secondary metabolite dynamics in fungus-grazer interactions: novel insights and unanswered questions Frontiers in Microbiology Aspergillus secondary metabolites fungivory Inducible resistance chemical defence regulation |
| title | Fungal secondary metabolite dynamics in fungus-grazer interactions: novel insights and unanswered questions |
| title_full | Fungal secondary metabolite dynamics in fungus-grazer interactions: novel insights and unanswered questions |
| title_fullStr | Fungal secondary metabolite dynamics in fungus-grazer interactions: novel insights and unanswered questions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fungal secondary metabolite dynamics in fungus-grazer interactions: novel insights and unanswered questions |
| title_short | Fungal secondary metabolite dynamics in fungus-grazer interactions: novel insights and unanswered questions |
| title_sort | fungal secondary metabolite dynamics in fungus grazer interactions novel insights and unanswered questions |
| topic | Aspergillus secondary metabolites fungivory Inducible resistance chemical defence regulation |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fmicb.2014.00788/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT markoerohlfs fungalsecondarymetabolitedynamicsinfungusgrazerinteractionsnovelinsightsandunansweredquestions |