Leuchtmann A
Geobotanisches Institut, ETH-Zurich, Switzerland.
Nat Toxins. 1992;1(3):150-62. doi: 10.1002/nt.2620010303.
Clavicipitaceous endophytes (Ascomycetes) are distributed worldwide in many grasses and sedges forming a perennial and often mutualistic association with their hosts. Most endophytes appear to produce alkaloid toxins in infected plants. The high frequency of infection in many grasses and in certain grassland communities may indicate a selective advantage of infected over non-infected host plants due to their toxic effects on grazing animals and insects. Field observations and artificial inoculations of seedlings have demonstrated a high degree of specificity of most endophytes to their host plant, particularly in asexual, seed-borne endophytes. Specific isozyme genotypes found on several host species suggest that host-specific physiological races may occur. Knowledge of host range and host specificity is vital for potential applications of endophytes in pest control.
麦角菌科内生真菌（子囊菌）广泛分布于世界各地的许多禾本科植物和莎草科植物中，与宿主形成多年生且通常互利共生的关系。大多数内生真菌似乎会在受感染的植物中产生生物碱毒素。许多禾本科植物以及某些草原群落中感染的高频率，可能表明受感染的宿主植物相对于未受感染的宿主植物具有选择性优势，这是由于它们对食草动物和昆虫具有毒性作用。田间观察和幼苗人工接种表明，大多数内生真菌对其宿主植物具有高度特异性，尤其是在无性、通过种子传播的内生真菌中。在几种宿主物种上发现的特定同工酶基因型表明可能存在宿主特异性生理小种。了解宿主范围和宿主特异性对于内生真菌在害虫防治中的潜在应用至关重要。
