Applications of Fungal Ecology in the Search for New Bioactive Natural Products

Abstract

Fungi are well known as prolific sources of distinctive biologically active secondary metabolites. While some of these compounds are problematic (e.g., mycotoxins), a significant number of fungal natural products have found utility as important pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals, or as lead compounds in the development of such materials, and there is an ongoing need for new molecules of this type. Reasons for the production of these kinds of bioactive agents by fungi are seldom clear. It is widely accepted that natural products play important roles in the ecology of many different types of organisms, and chemical studies of ecological phenomena have led to the discovery of novel natural products that have bioactivities of potential practical importance. Although it is often hypothesized that some of the secondary metabolic capabilities of fungi may be similarly influenced by selection pressures exerted by other organisms, relatively little is known of the chemical ecology of fungal ecosystems. The literature provides considerable evidence suggesting specific types of fungi for which secondary metabolites may provide competitive advantages. The primary objective of this chapter is to provide examples of how observations in fungal ecology can be directly or indirectly linked to the search for new bioactive natural products, and to highlight new chemistry that has been discovered through our studies in this area over the past 10 years.