Chapter 20
Cannabis Endophytes and Their
Application in Breeding
and Physiological Fitness
Parijat Kusari, Souvik Kusari, Michael Spiteller and Oliver Kayser
Abstract Plant-associated endophytes live in mutualistic association with their
hosts wherein a plethora of physiological, chemical, and molecular interactions are
responsible maintaining their association. In this chapter, we explore the multi-
faceted potential of endophytes harbored inCannabis sativaL. plants in interacting
not only with the host plants, but also with invading pathogens and associated
endophytic microflora, resulting in diverse functional traits. These traits range from
production of bioactive natural products, attenuation of virulence factors of
invading phytopathogens, to providing host plantfitness and maintaining ecological
interactions. We further elaborate the ecological relevance of endophytes harbored
in the liverwort,Radula marginatathat produces secondary metabolites structurally
similar to those found inCannabisplants. Until now, research on endophytic
microflora ofC. sativaprospected from different ecosystems has yielded interesting
fundamental insights into plant-microbe and microbe-microbe interactions, which
have direct or indirect biotechnological implications. Therefore, we discuss the
possible benefits of usingCannabisandRadulaendophytes in the pharmaceutical
and agricultural sectors, and the biotechnological approaches required to com-
mercialize selected endophytes.
P. KusariO. Kayser (&)
Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, Chair of Technical Biochemistry,
TU Dortmund, Emil-Figge-Str. 66, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
e-mail: [email protected]
S. KusariM. Spiteller
Institute of Environmental Research (INFU), Department of Chemistry and Chemical
Biology, Chair of Environmental Chemistry and Analytical Chemistry, TU Dortmund,
Otto-Hahn-Str. 6, 44221 Dortmund, Germany
©Springer International Publishing AG 2017
S. Chandra et al. (eds.), Cannabis sativaL. - Botany and Biotechnology,
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-54564-6_20
419