Neotyphodium

Neotyphodium species are fungal endophytes that are obligate, asexual, seed-borne symbionts, which live intercelluarly within cool-season grass plant tissues. Evolutionary theory predicts that asexual symbionts should be strong mutualists since their reproductive fitness is intimately tied to that of its host. In fact, some positive effects of Neotyphodium infection on its host plant include increased growth, drought tolerance, and herbivore and pathogen resistance via endophyte produced alkaloids. Although this grass/endophyte association has been widely recognized to be mutualistic in a few agronomic grasses, the direction of the interaction found in native grasses is highly variable and sometimes antagonistic.