The role of fungal endophytes in the production of natural products in Echinacea purpurea
R. J. GUALANDI (1), K. D. Gwinn (1), B. H. Ownley (1), R. M. Auge (1)
(1) University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, U.S.A.
Phytopathology 100:S44

Echinacea purpurea is a native herbaceous perennial with substantial economic value for its medicinal and ornamental qualities. Arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM) are symbiotic fungi that form relationships with plant roots and are known to enhance growth in the host. AM and other fungal endophytes often affect stress resistance and secondary metabolism in the host as well as the ecology of other endophytes in the plant. A newly emerging paradigm in sustainable biotechnology is the targeted use of fungal endophytes to enhance growth and secondary metabolism in crops. Many of the therapeutic compounds in E. purpurea could be affected by fungal colonization. This research tests the effects of intentional inoculation, of E. purpurea, with the AM fungi Glomus intraradices and Gigaspora margarita and the entomopathogenic fungal endophyte Beauveria bassiana (Bb). A series of greenhouse experiments tested endophyte colonization and changes in plant growth and phytochemistry. AM and Bb effectively colonized E. purpurea with some significant interactive effects on colonization. Consistent, substantial and significant increases in all growth parameters were observed in AM treatments. Substantial increases in P and N fertilization were necessary to produce AM and non-mycorrhizal samples of similar size. Bb had minor and inconsistent effects on some growth parameters and did exhibit some significant interactive effects with AM. Results of phytochemical analyses will be discussed.