Many "Epichloë" endophytes produce a diverse range of natural product compounds with biological activities against a broad range of herbivores. The purpose of these compounds is as a toxicity or feeding deterrence against insect and mammalian herbivores. Ergoline alkaloids (which are ergot alkaloids, named after the ergot fungus, "Claviceps purpurea", a close relative of the epichloae) are characterized by a ring system derived from 4-prenyl tryptophan. Among the most abundant ergot alkaloids in epichloë-symbiotic grasses is ergovaline, comprising an ergoline moiety attached to a bicyclic tripeptide containing the amino acids L-proline, L-alanine, and L-valine. Key genes and enzymes for ergot alkaloid biosynthesis have been identified in epichloae and include "dmaW", encoding dimethylallyl-tryptophan synthase and "lpsA", a non-ribosomal peptide synthetase.