[Research advances in endophytic fungi of mangrove]

Mangrove, a kind of special host plants, is a resource of abundant endophytic fungi. More than 200 species of endophytic fungi are isolated and identified from mangrove, being the second largest community of marine fungi. The reported endophytic fungi of mangrove are mainly Alternaria, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Colletotrichum, Fusarium, Paecilomyces, Penicillium, Pestalotiopsis, Phoma, Phomopsis, Phyllosticta and Trichoderma. Most endophytic fungi have wide range of hosts, and a few only have single host. However, the composition and dominant species on each mangrove plant are different. The colonization of endophytic fungi always varies with different parts (leaves, twigs, stems) and age of host plants and with seasons. The endophytic fungi of mangrove can produce many kinds of metabolites with great potential for anti-microbial and anti-tumor medicinal use. In this paper, the research advances in biodiversity of endophytic fungi in mangrove, their distribution, biological and ecological function, and secondary metabolites were reviewed.