Effect of Environmental Change on Secondary Metabolite Production in Lichen-Forming Fungi

Abstract

The production and regulation of secondary metabolites in non-lichenized fungi, mainly ascomycetes, has been reviewed by a number of authors with an emerging understanding of the biosynthesis and the pathways involved in regulation (Keller et al., 2005; Yu & Keller 2005; and others). However, lichenized fungi make up almost half of all known ascomycetes (Kirk et al., 2001) and are known to produce over 800 secondary metabolites, most of which are unique to lichenized fungi. Many of these compounds have bioactive properties …