Endophytes are microorganisms, primarily fungi and bacteria, that live within the tissues of plants without causing apparent disease symptoms for at least part of their life cycle. Some of them are mutualistic symbionts with beneficial effects on their host, such as improved growth or resistance against disease or environmental stress, and are being used as microbial inoculants. However, pathogens and saprophytes may also be endophytic at some point of their life cycle. Endophytes are distinct from mycorrhizal fungi or rhizosphere microbes in that they live entirely within the plant. Most endophytes known are bacteria or fungi, although there are also some endophytic algae and oomycetes.
This list contains genera with endophytic species (but which may also have non-endophytic species). Species are only listed in notable cases. Where specific variants or cultivars of a species are endophytic, this is detailed on the taxon's page. The host range is "wide" when it does not include only a specific lineage of plants; in that case, the lineage is given.
Bacteria See also Rhizobia for the nitrogen-fixing bacteria on roots of legumes (Fabaceae). Genus/species Phylum Class Order Host range Roots/shoots colonized? Acidovorax facilis Proteobacteria Betaproteobacteria Burkholderiales ? ? Bradyrhizobium Proteobacteria Alphaproteobacteria Rhizobiales legumes roots Rhizobium Proteobacteria Alphaproteobacteria Rhizobiales legumes roots Rhodococcus rhodochrous Actinobacteria Actinobacteria Actinomycetales ? ? Rhodococcus rhodochrous Actinobacteria Actinobacteria Actinomycetales ? ?
Fungi Genus/species Phylum Class Order Host range Roots/shoots colonized? Colletotrichum Ascomycota Sordariomycetes Glomerellales wide shoots & roots Curvularia Ascomycota Dothideomycetes Pleosporales wide shoots & roots Epichloë Ascomycota Sordariomycetes Hypocreales grasses shoots Fusarium Ascomycota Sordariomycetes Hypocreales wide shoots & roots Mycosphaerella Ascomycota Dothideomycetes Capnodiales ? ? Neotyphodium Ascomycota Sordariomycetes Hypocreales grasses shoots Piriformospora Basidiomycota Agaricomycetes Sebacinales wide roots Cladosporium Ascomycota Dothideomycetes Capnodiales wide Serendipita Basidiomycota Agaricomycetes Sebacinales wide roots
Algae and oomycetes Genus/species Phylum Class Order Host range Roots/shoots colonized? Pythium oligandrum Heterokontophyta, Oomycota Pythiales wide roots
See also List of symbiotic organisms List of symbiotic relationships Plant pathology Plant use of endophytic fungi in defense
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