Subject: Definitions etc

From: Dennis <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 1995 13:02:28 -0700 (MST)

Its nice to see some verbage on the list at last.
 
About definitions and Wennestroms article in Oikos.  The editors of Oikos
asked me to write a reply to this paper as Wennestrom was mostly replying
to my earlier paper in Oikos (what do you mean you have not read it yet?).
 
I have written the reply and the final proofs have been sent in so it
should be out soon.
 
I have a several comments.  Wennestrom incorrectly quoted the definition
from Ainsworth.  Wennestroms point is that endophyte should oppose epiphyte.
Endo refers to insdie and epi to outside.  I have argued that we should
extend the meaning to indicate the type of association the "endophyte"
has with its host, i.e., it is symptomless.  So endophyte should not
simply refer to the LOCATION, but also to the outcome of infection eg
disease causing or symptomless.  Of course its not that simple and I will
not go into the other issues I mentioned, sucg as it might be symptomless
at time X, but what about at time Y etc etc.

Wennestrom also made some other points.  Endophyte is often used to
indicate a mutualistic association.  Clearly some endophytes do, but many
more probably do not.  So you can further qualify endophyte by calling them
mutualistic.  Otherwise endophyte should not mean mutualist anymore than
saprophyte or pathogen should.
 
I do feel the term is used too liberally, but its somewhat of a bandwagon
at the moment and people just love to hitch a ride sometimes.
 
Cheers Dennis Wilson

Disclaimer:  All spelling errors, poor English, and gramatical mistakes
are the result of an over worked, underpaid and tired mind rather than
anything else.
 
No matter where you go, there you are.  Buckaroo Bonzi.

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From: Biology Department <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 24 Mar 1995 09:13:35 -0600 (CST)

Does anyone know of a good text or paper that discusses the effects of 
symbionts on host evolution?
	I work with Paramecium biaurelia in which lives an obligate bacterial 
endosymbiont that contains a defective bacteriophage (designated Cv7).  
The Cv7 phage confers upon the paramecium host the ability to kill other 
paramecia lacking the bacteria and phage.  I am interested in the 
evolution of multiple genomic systems, especially when one symbiont confers 
such a significant trait upon the other.
Any thoughts comments would be appreciated.
Cheers

Jeff Huckaby
Molecular Biology
William Jewell College
Libery, MO 64068
eMail [email-masked]

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From: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 24 Mar 1995 09:16:35 -0600 (CST)

On Thu, 23 Mar 1995, Dennis wrote:

> Endo refers to insdie and epi to outside. 

I have some problems with the usage of the term epiphyte.  According to 
the Dictionary of Fungi (Ainsworth & Bisby, 1961) epiphyte is a plant that 
lives on another but is not parasitic. And in Dictionary of Botany 
(Swartz, 1971) epiphyte is: 1. A green plant which is attached to or 
depends upon another plant for physical support but is able to 
manufacture its own food; 2. An air plant.  Both of these definitions 
exclude the situation where a parasitic relationship is involved.  They 
instead refer to epiphytes as seen in Bromeliads, Orchids, and other 
similar plants.  Many of us that study fungi that colonize the surfaces 
of plants (as in some Clavicipitaceae) use the term epiphyte 
incorrectly.  I have switched to using epibiont since a nutritive 
relationship is not excluded in this term.  However, epibiont may not be 
the correct term either.  Is there a better term???

> at the moment and people just love to hitch a ride sometimes.

People were using the term endophyte to describe internal bluegreen algae 
and internal parasitic vascular plants long before the recent phase of 
research on fungal endophytes of plants.  It would not be possible to 
change the meaning of the term to fit purposes and get people to go along 
with the narrower definition.  

Sincerely,

Jim White