Abstract
Fungal phytotoxic secondary metabolites are poisonous substances to plants produced by fungi through naturally occurring biochemical reactions. These metabolites exhibit a high level of diversity in their properties, such as structures, phytotoxic activities, and modes of toxicity. They are mainly isolated from phytopathogenic fungal species in the genera of Alternaria, Botrytis, Colletotrichum, Fusarium, Helminthosporium, and Phoma. Phytotoxins are either host specific or non-host specific phytotoxins. Up to now, at least 545 fungal phytotoxic secondary metabolites, including 207 polyketides, 46 phenols and phenolic acids, 135 terpenoids, 146 nitrogen-containing metabolites, and 11 others, have been reported. Among them, aromatic polyketides and sesquiterpenoids are the main phytotoxic compounds. This review summarizes their chemical structures, sources, and phytotoxic activities. We also discuss their phytotoxic mechanisms and structure–activity relationships to lay the foundation for the future development and application of these promising metabolites as herbicides.
Highlights
Phytotoxic secondary metabolites from fungi are toxic compounds to plants produced by fungi, especially by plant fungal pathogens responsible for serious diseases of agrarian and forest plants causing significant economical losses [1]
Key Contribution: This review describes phytotoxic secondary metabolites from fungi that should be beneficial to the elucidation of fungal phytotoxin diversity and their phytotoxic mechanisms, as well as the development of novel herbicides
Due to long-term co-evolution of pathogenic fungi and their host plants, the fungus has evolved strategies for successful infection of host. Among these strategies is the production of phytotoxins
Summary
Phytotoxic secondary metabolites from fungi (or called fungal phytotoxins) are toxic compounds to plants produced by fungi, especially by plant fungal pathogens responsible for serious diseases of agrarian and forest plants causing significant economical losses [1]. Fungal phytotoxins play an important role in the development of plant disease symptoms, inclduing leaf spots, wilting, chlorosis, necrosis, and growth inhibition and promotion [2,3] Their chemical and biological characterizations as well as the structure–activity relations and modes of action can help us to deeply investigate plant-pathogen interactions. Hosts specific phytotoxins (or called host-selective toxins) are active only towards plants that are hosts of the toxin-producing fungi, and are essential for pathogenicity [4]. Non-host specific phytotoxins (or called non-host-selective toxins) are primary determinants of host range and not essential for pathogenicity, they may contribute to virulence These phytotoxins have a broader range of activity, causing symptoms on hosts of the pathogenic fungi, and on other plant species [8]. The probable roles played by fungal phytotoxins in the induction of plant disease symptoms, structure–activity relationships, phytotoxic mechanisms, as well as the potential applications in agriculture are discussed
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