Fungal Endophyte-Plant-Insect Interaction: A Tripartite Association Needing Attention

Fungal endophytes are microfungi which infect the aerial and underground living tissues of plants and live within them without causing any disease symptoms. Their association with plants confers several benefits to plants and enhances their innate ability to tolerate abiotic and biotic stresses. Despite their universal occurrence, their ability to improve plant performance and capacity to produce numerous novel bioactive compounds, information on the ecology of fungal endophytes is incomplete. The interaction of these fungi with plants, plant-associated organisms, cooccurring endophytes (other fungi and bacteria), and the environment is little understood. This article highlights one such interaction among plants-fungal endophytes-plant-feeding insects that needs attention.