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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 16, 2025

Author Spotlight: Evaluation of Entomopathogenic Fungi in Wild Monochamus alternatus Populations for Biocontrol Applications in Forest Wood Borers

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Published on: September 29, 2023

Alliance Between Conifer Trees and Endophytic Fungi Against Insect Defoliators.

Aziz Ullah¹, Ateeq Shah¹, Shih-Hsuan Ethan Chen¹

¹Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Plant, Cell & Environment

|April 1, 2025

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Fungal endophytes in white spruce impact insect herbivores through direct toxicity and by altering plant defenses. This study reveals a complex co-evolutionary relationship between fungi, trees, and insects.

Keywords:

Choristoneura fumiferana Picea glauca conifer defences fungal volatile organic compounds monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes

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Establishing Fungal Entomopathogens as Endophytes: Towards Endophytic Biological Control

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Isolation and Selection of Entomopathogenic Fungi from Soil Samples and Evaluation of Fungal Virulence against Insect Pests

Isolation and Selection of Entomopathogenic Fungi from Soil Samples and Evaluation of Fungal Virulence against Insect Pests

Published on: September 28, 2021

Area of Science:

Ecology
Plant Pathology
Forest Entomology

Background:

Fungal endophytes influence plant defense mechanisms against herbivores.
The role of fungal endophytes in conifer defense against insect herbivores is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the impact of fungal endophytes on white spruce (Picea glauca) defenses against the eastern spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana).
To characterize endophytic fungal communities and terpene concentrations in white spruce.
To examine the direct and indirect effects of fungal endophytes on insect herbivores.

Main Methods:

Characterized endophytic fungal communities and terpene concentrations in 30 white spruce families across two sites.
Assessed eastern spruce budworm responses to fungal endophytes in vitro and via volatile organic compounds.
Inoculated white spruce seedlings with endophytic fungi to observe effects on terpene concentrations.

Main Results:

Endophytic fungal communities and terpene profiles varied significantly among white spruce families and sites.
Fungal endophytes exhibited direct toxicity to eastern spruce budworm larvae through mycelium and volatile compounds, reducing survival and fitness.
Changes in endophytic fungal communities and abundance altered terpene concentrations in white spruce seedlings.

Conclusions:

Fungal endophytes play a significant role in white spruce resistance to insect herbivores.
The study proposes a "Plant Partnership Hypothesis" highlighting the co-evolutionary dynamics between fungal endophytes, tree defenses, and insect herbivores.