Chemical talk, warfare and aid: a case of an ectomycorrhiza-forming fungi, Tricholoma vaccinum, and its interacting partners

Different chemicals have been implicated in communication occurring in biological system. A plethora of chemicals and enzymes have been shown to be involved in these communications occurring between organisms of the same species, different species and even evolutionarily distant ones. There is a need to properly understand the role of these chemicals and the involvement of different proteins/enzymes in communication and interaction between organisms. Recent researches had however infer functions and explains evolutionary deterministic purposes for the biosynthesis of different chemicals in biological systems. There are numerous examples of such chemicals that has been shown to infer antimicrobial activities against a host of interacting partners and/or organisms that might be competing for common goods with the producer in the environment. Some other chemicals on the other hand has been shown to serve as an aid for the support of cooperating partners. While some are merely signal molecules or chemical cues for interacting partners or simply the community members. We therefore set out to understand the biosynthesis of some of these chemicals in our working strain of Tricholoma vaccinum, an ectomycorrhiza-forming fungi. We try to understand the role of these chemicals in the interaction of the mycorrhiza fungi and its plant host and other interacting partners. Also, we seek out biochemical and morphogenetic effects observable during such interactions.