Marine fungal diversity and bioprospecting
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| Abstract |
Marine fungi are a large group of eukaryotic organisms. Marine fungi, and particularly wood-inhabiting fungi, have been extensively studied since 1944. These have been termed lignicolous fungi and constitute more than 50%50%Open image in new windowof the total 450450Open image in new windowspecies of obligate marine fungi described so far. Marine fungi occur not only in water and sediment, but also as parasites on plants and animals, as well as symbionts in marine lichens, plants, and algae. A rich pool of fungal species is yet to be discovered and investigated over the coming years. About 150150Open image in new windowspecies have been found exclusively on decaying mangrove wood, aerial roots, and seedlings, and are categorized as Manglicolous fungi ; most of the species belong to the class of Ascomycetes . Fungi in mangroves play a significant role in litter decomposition and nutrient cycling, thereby contributing to the fertility of the environment. Fungal biomass along with detritus contributes significantly to the food chain of detritus-feeding organisms found in mangroves. Aspergillus and Penicillium are the dominant fungi involved in litter decomposition of mangroves. Fungal endophytes are microfungi; they colonize the internal tissues of vascular plants without producing any apparent disease symptoms and are considered as an important component of biodiversity. The distributions of endophytic mycoflora differ with the host and modify the host plants at genetical, physiological, and ecological levels. These modifications induce profound changes in how plants respond to their environments. The environmental and biological factors such as the availability of substrates or hosts, salinity, hydrostatic pressure, temperature, and the availability of oxygen control the distribution of marine fungi. The adaptation of marine fungi in an extreme environment suggests that they are promising sources for screening natural products. |
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