Plant into which symbiotic fungus is artificially introduced, and method of introducing symbiotic fungus into plant

Abstract

A symbiotic fungus is artificially introduced to a plant. The symbiotic fungus is a filamentous fungus of a biologically pure culture. The filamentous fungus belongs to genus Neotyphodium and produces one chanoclavine as a final metabolic product thereof. The plant with the filamentous fungus introduced therein has resistance to pest and does not show toxicity to livestock.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A plant into which a symbiotic fungus is artificially introduced, said symbiotic fungus producing one chanoclavine as a final metabolic product.  
     
     
         2 . A plant according to  claim 1 , wherein said symbiotic fungus is a filamentous fungus belonging to the genus Neotyphodium.  
     
     
         3 . A plant according to  claim 1 , wherein said symbiotic fungus is one selected from the group consisting of FERM BP-08480, FERM BP-08481 and FERM BP-08482 deposited at the Japanese National Institute of Bioscience and Human Technology.  
     
     
         4 . A plant according to  claim 1 , wherein said plant is a grass selected from the group consisting of Agrostis, Festuca, Poa and Lolium.  
     
     
         5 . A plant according to  claim 1 , wherein said plant includes a seed extracted from the plant into which the symbiotic fungus is artificially introduced.  
     
     
         6 . A plant according to  claim 1 , wherein said plant includes a plant grown from a seed of the plant into which the symbiotic fungus is artificially introduced.  
     
     
         7 . A plant according to  claim 1 , wherein said plant includes a hybrid plant having the plant or a seed thereof into which the symbiotic fungus is artificially introduced as a parent.  
     
     
         8 . A method of introducing a symbiotic fungus producing one chanoclavine as a final metabolic product into a plant, comprising the steps of: 
 isolating symbiotic fungi from naturally existing plants,    artificially cultivating the isolated symbiotic fungi,    introducing the cultivated symbiotic fungi into target plants,    infecting the target plants with the introduced symbiotic fungi,    determining whether the introduced symbiotic fungi infecting the target plants produce the chanoclavine as the final metabolic product, and    selecting the target plants which produce the chanoclavine as the final metabolic product.    
     
     
         9 . A method according to  claim 8 , wherein said symbiotic fungi producing the chanoclavine as the final metabolic product are selected by screening using chanoclavine as a marker.  
     
     
         10 . A method according to  claim 9 , wherein said screening is performed by thin layer chromatography using chanoclavine as a marker.  
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 9 , wherein said screening is performed by liquid chromatography using chanoclavine as a marker.  
     
     
         12 . A method of introducing a symbiotic fungus producing one chanoclavine as a final metabolic product into a plant, comprising the steps of: 
 isolating symbiotic fungi from naturally existing plants,    artificially cultivating the isolated symbiotic fungi,    selecting one of the isolated symbiotic fungi producing the chanoclavine as the final metabolic product,    introducing the selected symbiotic fungus into the plant, and    infecting the plant with the introduced symbiotic fungus.    
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 12 , wherein said symbiotic fungi producing the chanoclavine as the final metabolic product is selected by screening using chanoclavine as a marker.  
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 13 , wherein said screening is performed by thin layer chromatography using chanoclavine as a marker.  
     
     
         15 . A method according to  claim 13 , wherein said screening is performed by liquid chromatography using chanoclavine as a marker.