Abstract

Review Article 

Life style of fungi from Biotrophy to Necrotrophy and Saprotrophy

Nishar Akhtar¹,   Shahina Perween², Abdul Majid Ansari^3* and Md Reyaz Ahmad⁴

¹Department of Plant Pathology, Birsa Agricultural University, Ranchi-834006, Jharkhand, India

²Department of Genetics & Plant Breeding, Birsa Agricultural University, Ranchi-834006, Jharkhand, India

³Zonal Research Station (BAU, Ranchi), Chianki, Palamau-822102, Jharkhand, India

⁴Department of Plant Pathology, VKS College of Agriculture (BAU, Sabour, Bhagalpur), Dumraon, Bihar, India

^*Corresponding author e-mail: majid.gbp@gmail.com  

(Received: 25/05/2020;  Revised: 30/05/2020; Accepted: 20/06/2020)  

ABSTRACT

Plant pathogenic fungi causes’ economic menace to crop production throughout the world. On the basis of their life styles they may be classified as biotrophs, hemibiotrophs and necrotrophs. For biotrophs it is mandatory to thrive on living host cell and tissues and often found to secrete a little amount of cell wall degrading enzymes and certain effector molecules for suppressing plant host defense mechanism. Necrotrophs survive on dead host cell and tissues which are killed by them before or during infection. Hemibiotrophs in their early stage of life behave as biotrophs and become necrotrophs on later. This article represents the evolution of biotrophs, interaction of biotrophs, hemibiotrophs and necrotrophs with their host plant and continuum of life styles from biotrophy, through to necrotrophy and ultimately to saprotrophy.

Keywords: Biotrophs, hemibiotrophs, necrotrophs, evolution, effector