Endophytes, alkaloids produced

Jiao RH et ai, Chaetominine, a cytotoxic alkaloid produced by endophytic Chaetomium sp. IFB-E015, Org Lett S 5703—5712, 2006. 

Li XJ, Tang HY, Duan JL, Gao JM, Xue QH. Bioactive alkaloids produced by Pseudomonas brassicacearum subsp neoaurantiaca, an endophytic bacterium from Salvia miltiorrhiza. Nat Prod Res 2013 27(4-5) 496-9. 

Schweta S, Bindu JH, Raghu J, Suma HK, Manjunatha BL, Kumara PM, et al. Isolation of endophytic bacteria producing the anti-cancer alkaloid camptothecine from Miquelia dentate Bedd. (Icacinaceae). Phytomedicine 2013 20(10) 913-7. 

Many endophytic fungi produce alkaloids uninfected host plants lack these compounds. The alkaloids of most of these grasses (presumably produced by the endophytes) are similar to those of Claviceps species described above. Those... 

Alkaloid produced by endophytic fungal/plant association. Host plant and fungal source are listed. 

It has also been proposed that the presence of endophytes can alter the usual suite of secondary metabolites of plants. For example, whilst Murraya spp. have been reported to produce indole and carbazole alkaloids, the Brazilian M. paniculata did not [25]. An endophytic Eupenicillium sp. was isolated from surface-sterilized leaf material of the Brazilian M. paniculata and subsequently cultured on white corn. The Eupenicillium sp. produced hydrophobic spiroquinazoline alkaloids that were separated using silica gel column chromatography and preparative gel-filtration... 

The anticancer drug taxol is produced by endophytes from Taxus brevifolia (Stierle et al., 1993). An isolated occurrence of the taxan alkaloids has been reported from Corylus avellana (Betulaceae), which is not associated with an endophyte (although the pathway genes might have been imported by an endophyte at an earlier stage) (Ottaggio et al., 2008). Podophyllotoxin is produced by endophytes of Podophyllum peltatum (Eyberger et al, 2006). 

Within Fabaceae, Astragalus and Oxytropis are famous for the production of toxic indolizidine alkaloids, such as swainsonine, which inhibit glucosidases. These alkaloids are apparently produced by an endophyte (Embellisia spp. Pleosporaceae) (Ralphs et al., 2008). 

While there may be phylogenetic reasons for particular distributions of the polyhydroxylated alkaloids in plants, caution should nevertheless be exercised in using the presence of these compounds as taxonomic markers. One reason is that these alkaloids can be released into the soil by producer plants and micro-organisms from where some, such as DMDP and castanospermine can be readily taken up and accumulated in plant tissues of completely unrelated neighbouring species. It may also be the case that micro-organisms (Rhizobium, other rhizosphere organisms, or endophytes) closely associated with specific plants may also produce polyhydroxylated alkaloids which could then be mistakenly considered of plant origin. 

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