Fungal alkaloids in populations of endophyte-infected Festuca rubra subsp. pruinosa

Abstract

Festuca rubra subsp. pruinosa is a grass that grows on coastal cliffs along the Atlantic coast of Europe. Asymptomatic plants of this species are systemically infected by the fungal endophyte Epichloë festucae. It is not known whether the alkaloids ergovaline and peramine are produced by the endophyte in Festuca rubra subsp. pruinosa. Plants from four populations were collected from the northern coast of Galicia (Spain) and examined for the presence of fungal endophytes. Ergovaline and peramine concentrations were analysed over two consecutive years, at two plant growth stages, and in different types of plant tissues. Infected plants of F. rubra subsp. pruinosa contained ergovaline but do not peramine. Ergovaline was detected in 0.80 of the plants, with concentrations ranging from 0.05 to 1.9 µg g-1 dry matter (DM). The differences in ergovaline contents between different types of plant tissue (vegetative and reproductive), plant populations and sampling dates were not statistically significant.