Variation of the alkaloids ergovaline and peramine in wild populations of endophyte infected Festuca rubra
Festuca rubra is a perennial grass which is naturally infected by the endophytic fungus Epichloe festucae. Infected grass plants produce several alkaloids toxic to herbívores. In natural grasslands from western Spain, where cattle are maintaíned under extensive management, 70 % of the Festuca rubra plants were found to be infected by Epichloe festucae. We determined the concentration of the alkaloids ergovaline (toxic to livestock) and pera mine (an inseet feeding deterrent) in endophyte infeeted plants from two wild p9pulations of Festuca rubra. Both alkaloids were detected in plants of both populations. The percentage of plants containing ergovaline ranged from 17-50 % and that containing peramine from 3380 % at each population studied. A low percentage of the plants (10-17 %) were found to produce both alkaloids. In one of the populations 70 % of the analysed plants produced peramine but not ergovaline.
Main Authors: | , , , |
---|---|
Other Authors: | |
Format: | capítulo de libro biblioteca |
Published: |
European Grassland Federation
2004
|
Subjects: | Alkaloids, Epichloefestucae, Grasses, Fungal endophytes, |
Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10261/267362 http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100006280 http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100014180 |
Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
Summary: | Festuca rubra is a perennial grass which is naturally infected by the endophytic fungus Epichloe festucae. Infected grass plants produce several alkaloids toxic to herbívores. In natural grasslands from western Spain, where cattle are maintaíned under extensive management, 70 % of the Festuca rubra plants were found to be infected by Epichloe festucae. We determined the concentration of the alkaloids ergovaline (toxic to livestock) and pera mine (an inseet feeding deterrent) in endophyte infeeted plants from two wild p9pulations of Festuca rubra. Both alkaloids were detected in plants of both populations. The percentage of plants containing ergovaline ranged from 17-50 % and that containing peramine from 3380 % at each population studied. A low percentage of the plants (10-17 %) were found to produce both alkaloids. In one of the populations 70 % of the analysed plants produced peramine but not ergovaline. |
---|