Metabolites of a sp. endophyte with potential as biocontrol and bioremediation agent.

Endophytic fungi have several well-established beneficial effects on plant health and growth, and are a huge source of bioactive compounds. The endophyte sp. strain 678, isolated from the roots of an Australian native grass , demonstrated efficacy against four plant pathogens (, , , ). In addition, strain 678 was capable of degrading a common additive used in gasoline, known as methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MtBE). Thus, the organic extracts obtained from the culture filtrate of strain 678 were studied. Metabolomic analysis revealed the presence of two major bioactive metabolites, monocerin and an alkynyl substituted epoxycyclohexenone derivative, which showed good antifungal activity. The sp. strain 678 and its compounds show promise for applications in biocontrol and bioremediation activities in agriculture or as a remediation option for MtBE contamination in soil.