Growth Promoting Role of Manglicolous Fungi

Mangroves are inhabited by large number of fungal communities, known as manglicolous fungi. They include mostly marine fungi and small group of terrestrial fungi and can be categorized into saprophytic, parasitic, and symbiotic fungi. Fungi in mangrove environment play an important ecological role in decomposition of organic matter by production of variety of extracellular degradative enzymes such as cellulase, xylanase, pectinase, amylase, and so on. Such enzymes can be isolated from the mangrove fungi and harnessed for several biotechnological applications; mangrove fungi focused on their ecological roles as their extreme importance in nutrient cycling. Most classical plant hormones are also produced by pathogenic and symbiotic fungi.