Lolium perenne apoplast metabolomics for identification of novel metabolites produced by the symbiotic fungus Epichloë festucae

What is it about?

We have analysed how the metabolic composition of the intercellular fluid of ryegrass changes when the grass is infected with a fungal endophyte. We identified previously characterised metabolites that protect the host from biotic stress but also identified some new compounds including a novel sugar-amino acid metabolite. A key enzyme for synthesising this metabolite is also found in a fungal pathogen of wheat.

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