Life style of fungi from Biotrophy to Necrotrophy and Saprotrophy

Plant pathogenic fungi causes’ economic menace to crop production throughout the world. On the basis of their life styles they may be classified as biotrophs, hemibiotrophs and necrotrophs. For biotrophs it is mandatory to thrive on living host cell and tissues and often found to secrete a little amount of cell wall degrading enzymes and certain effector molecules for suppressing plant host defense mechanism. Necrotrophs survive on dead host cell and tissues which are killed by them before or during infection. Hemibiotrophs in their early stage of life behave as biotrophs and become necrotrophs on later. This article represents the evolution of biotrophs, interaction of biotrophs, hemibiotrophs and necrotrophs with their host plant and continuum of life styles from biotrophy, through to necrotrophy and ultimately to saprotrophy.