Endophyte Screening

Abstract

The present invention relates to isolated strains of Epichloë endophytes that form stable symbiotic associations with cereal grasses, particularly wheat, wherein the symbiotic associations are combinations of endophytes and host plants that are not found in nature The invention also relates to methods of identifying and/or selecting fungal endophytes that form stable symbiotic associations with wheat plants including methods of screening for fungal endophytes that form stable symbiotic associations with wheat plants, and to methods of screening for wheat plants that form stable symbiotic associations with fungal endophytes.

1 .- 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A method of identifying a wheat plant that forms a stable symbiotic combination with a fungal endophyte comprising
 artificially inoculating a fungal endophyte into a candidate wheat plant to form a wheat plant/endophyte combination,   propagating the wheat plant/endophyte combination,   obtaining seed from the propagated combination, and   identifying the presence of the endophyte in the seed, and   optionally selecting a wheat plant that is capable of forming a stable symbiotic combination with a fungal endophyte.   
     
     
         21 . A method of making a stable symbiotic combination comprising a wheat plant and a fungal endophyte comprising
 artificially inoculating a fungal endophyte into a candidate wheat plant to form a wheat plant/endophyte combination,   propagating the wheat plant/endophyte combination,   obtaining seed from the propagated combination, and   identifying the presence of the endophyte in the seed, and   optionally selecting a stable symbiotic combination comprising the wheat plant and the fungal endophyte.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the fungal endophyte is isolated from  Elymus  spp. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the fungal endophyte is an  Epichloë  fungal endophyte. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the fungal endophyte is an  Epichloë  fungal endophyte isolated from wild cereal grasses selected from the group consisting of  Elymus  spp. grasses and  Hordeum  species grasses. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the fungal endophyte is a species or strain of  Epichloë bromicola  or a hybrid strain of  E. bromicola  and another  Epichloë  species. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the fungal endophyte is an isolated strain of  Epichloë  fungal endophyte selected from the group consisting of AR3002 (NRRL#50579), AR3013 (NRRL#67557), AR3060 (NRRL#67592), AR3067 (NRRL#50719), AR3070 (NRRL#67564) and AR3108 (NRRL#67572), and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the wheat plant comprises chromosome modifications that increase the compatibility of the wheat plant with an  Epichloë  endophyte infection. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the wheat plant is a plant from a line obtained from the Tottori Alien Chromosome Bank of Wheat (TACBOW) selected from the group consisting of TACBOW0003, TACBOW0005, TACBOW0010, TACBOW0011, TACBOW0018, TACBOW0028, TACBOW0044, TACBOW0045, TACBOW0054, TACBOW0059, TACBOW0067, TACBOW0128, TACBOW0209, TACBOW0221, TACBOW0226, TACBOW0236, TACBOW237, TACBOW0244, TACBOW0260, TACBOW0261, TACBOW0272, and TACBOW0275. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the wheat plant in the combination shows a normal morphological phenotype. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 21 , the wheat plant in the combination has a tall floral phenotype that produces seed containing the endophyte. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the wheat plant in the combination produces seed that is viable, wherein the seed will germinate to form a next generation of the combination. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the wheat plant/endophyte combination produces an alkaloid that confers at least some level of pest protection or resistance, or disease protection or resistance, on the combination, wherein the alkaloid is selected from the group consisting of lolines, peramine, indole diterpene alkaloids and ergot alkaloids. 
     
     
         33 . A stable symbiotic combination comprising an isolated strain of  Epichloë  fungal endophyte selected from the group consisting of AR3002 (NRRL#50579), AR3013 (NRRL#67557), AR3060 (NRRL#67592), AR3067 (NRRL#50719), AR3070 (NRRL#67564) and AR3108 (NRRL#67572), and combinations thereof and a wheat plant. 
     
     
         34 . The combination of  claim 33 , wherein the wheat plant in the combination shows a normal morphological phenotype. 
     
     
         35 . The combination of  claim 33 , wherein the wheat plant shows a tall floral phenotype that produces seed containing the endophyte. 
     
     
         36 . The combination of  claim 33 , wherein the wheat plant produces seed that is viable, wherein the seed will germinate to form a next generation of the combination.