Title : Epiphytic fungi associated with seaweeds, their economical importance and future prospects
Abstract:
The fungus that colonize the outer surface of the host (seaweed) is known as epiphytic fungi or algicolous fungi,they are ubiquitous, can be saprophytic, parasitic or in symbiotic association with its host and play important roles in benthic communities and almost all of the organisms including macroalgae or terrestrial plants mediate ecological signalling and interactions with nearby microbial community or the fungi associated with it by the emission of low or high molecular weight compounds called infochemicals and when perceived by either host or associated organism can influence growth, defence mechanisms and metabolic pathways of both emitter and receiver, these compounds have different chemical structures, different action ranges and it can act as defence against pathogens and other surrounding holobiont members that compete for the nutrients. The compounds released by seaweeds are mostly sugars, amino acids and organic acids. In recent years the interests of many scientists increased significantly on marine fungi due to their ability to produce different novel products that hold significant therapeutic value and cause of their unusual habitat. According to kohlmeyer almost 30% of these known marine fungi are associated with seaweed and day by day due to overuse of Antibiotics in the animal husbandry and livestock farming and as a result there were significant rise in cases of antibiotic resistance in the microbial communities which have lead to the emergence of resistant microbes and super bugs globally as well as endemically and caused scientists to go back to nature and search for novel bioactive compounds which could be potential drug target to fight with the global AMR.
Audience Take Away
- Currently this Area of research is limited as not many people are working on this particular field which leads to more novelity.
- As in upcoming time AMR( Anti-Microbial resistance ) is increasing it will help us finding more novel compounds for treatment of the infection.
- It also help us understand the ecological role played by these members of marine holobiont.
