Aster tataricus (Asteraceae) is a plant native to Northern Asia and known for its use in the Traditional Chinese and Japanese Medicine. Beside many other secondary metabolites, it contains pentapeptides called astins from which some show an antitumor activity against different human cell lines. Astins are chlorinated, cyclic pentapeptides consisting of proteinogenic and non-proteinogenic amino acids. The astin structure indicates the involvement of non ribosomal peptide synthetases as well as flavin-dependent halogenases. Both enzymes are currently only known from bacteria and fungi. A new endophytic fungus Pelliciarosea asterica was isolated from A. tataricus which produces some of the astins found in the different plant organs. The nearest neighbors of P. asterica are ostropalean fungi from the Stictidaceae lineage (Stictidaceae, Ostropales, Lecanoromycetes, Pezizomycetes, Ascomycota). P. asterica is located in all plant organs of A. tataricus but the highest accumulation of the fungus is found in rhizomes and above-ground organs like leaves or inflorescences. In contrast, the highest astin concentration was found in the roots where nearly no fungus was detectable. P. asterica produces only one of the dichlorinated astins (astin C) in liquid culture, but in A. tataricus all three forms of the dichlorinated astins (A/B and C) were found. This indicates that either the plant is “using” the fungal astin C and metabolize it into one of the other astins or that the fungus, once living inside the plant, is itself producing the other astins. It was also searched for a candidate gene of a halogenase which is essential for the dichlorination of the astins with an antitumor activity. No halogenase could be found by PCR or Southern as well as colony blot, neither in A. tataricus nor in P. asterica. Even the genome sequencing of P. asterica revealed no candidate gene for a halogenase. Endophytes support the plant by suppressing pathogens (antibiosis) or by providing additional nutrients like phosphates or iron to the plant. P. asterica can solubilize different phosphate sources on agar plates. Different fungi are inhibited in growth by P. asterica on agar plates. The endophyte P. asterica from A. tataricus supports its host in different ways and produces secondary metabolites. These secondary metabolites seem to be fungal metabolites either used or degraded by the plant. P. asterica is therefore a good alternative for a possible large-scale production of such antitumor acting astins.

Aster tataricus (Asteraceae) is a plant native to Northern Asia and known for its use in the Traditional Chinese and Japanese Medicine. Beside many other secondary metabolites, it contains pentapeptides called astins from which some show an antitumor activity against different human cell lines. Astins are chlorinated, cyclic pentapeptides consisting of proteinogenic and non-proteinogenic amino acids. The astin structure indicates the involvement of non ribosomal peptide synthetases as well as flavin-dependent halogenases. Both enzymes are currently only known from bacteria and fungi. A new endophytic fungus Pelliciarosea asterica was isolated from A. tataricus which produces some of the astins found in the different plant organs. The nearest neighbors of P. asterica are ostropalean fungi from the Stictidaceae lineage (Stictidaceae, Ostropales, Lecanoromycetes, Pezizomycetes, Ascomycota). P. asterica is located in all plant organs of A. tataricus but the highest accumulation of the fungus is found in rhizomes and above-ground organs like leaves or inflorescences. In contrast, the highest astin concentration was found in the roots where nearly no fungus was detectable. P. asterica produces only one of the dichlorinated astins (astin C) in liquid culture, but in A. tataricus all three forms of the dichlorinated astins (A/B and C) were found. This indicates that either the plant is “using” the fungal astin C and metabolize it into one of the other astins or that the fungus, once living inside the plant, is itself producing the other astins. It was also searched for a candidate gene of a halogenase which is essential for the dichlorination of the astins with an antitumor activity. No halogenase could be found by PCR or Southern as well as colony blot, neither in A. tataricus nor in P. asterica. Even the genome sequencing of P. asterica revealed no candidate gene for a halogenase. Endophytes support the plant by suppressing pathogens (antibiosis) or by providing additional nutrients like phosphates or iron to the plant. P. asterica can solubilize different phosphate sources on agar plates. Different fungi are inhibited in growth by P. asterica on agar plates. The endophyte P. asterica from A. tataricus supports its host in different ways and produces secondary metabolites. These secondary metabolites seem to be fungal metabolites either used or degraded by the plant. P. asterica is therefore a good alternative for a possible large-scale production of such antitumor acting astins.