Production of volatile sesquiterpenes by Fusarium sambucinum strains with different abilities to synthesize trichothecenes

Abstract

Twenty-five strains of Fusarium sambucinum grown on wheat kernels were examined for trichothecene production and the synthesis of volatile sesquiterpenes. The volatiles were purged with air and collected on Tenax traps. Adsorbed compounds were eluted from the traps and injected into a gas chromatograph coupled with a mass spectrometer. Ten strains isolated from potato tubers produced high amounts of diacetoxyscirpenol and its derivatives. These strains were characterized by the production of high amounts of diverse sesquiterpenes. In 10 cultures, 19 compounds were detected, of which 6 were predominant and composed as much as 82% of the volatile sesquiterpene fraction (e.g., ␤-farnesene, ␤-chamigrene, ␤-bisabolene, ␣-farnesene, trichodiene, and an unidentified compound). Fifteen strains isolated from various sources that did not produce trichothecenes produced much less volatile sesquiterpenes, with less chemical diversity. No more than six compounds were present in cultures. Two of these compounds were present in the toxigenic strains isolated from potatoes (␤-farnesene and acoradiene), but four were unique to the strains not producing trichothecenes (longifolene, isocaryophyllene, ␦-elemene, and an unidentified one). The pattern of volatile sesquiterpenes was characteristic and distinctive for both toxic and nontoxic strains.

Characteristics of Polish Isolates of Fusarium sambucinum: Molecular Identification, Pathogenicity, Diversity and Reaction to Control Agents

“…They, as well as (El-Banna et al 1984), found that trichothecenes were formed in potato tubers infected with F. sambucinum. Jelen et al (1995) and Ellner (2002) detected A-type trichothecenes (e.g. DAS, MAS) in all potato tubers inoculated with F. sambucinum.…”

Doubled volatile organic compound emissions from subarctic tundra under simulated climate warming

“…3), while the other treatments showed no common associations throughout the measurements. The relatively high selinene emission may mainly have originated from the fungi present on the litter (Jelén et al, 1995;Jelén, 2002). By contrast, humulene may have been released from the mountain birch leaf litter itself, as living foliage emits humulene (Mäntylä et al, 2008).…”

Characterization of volatile metabolites formed by molds on barley by mass and ion mobility spectrometry

“…In addition to the nonvolatile mycotoxin metabolites, a wide spectrum of 50 volatile and 53 semivolatile metabolites (microbial volatile organic compounds [mVOC]) is also produced by different Fusarium species . An important class of semivolatile metabolites are the sesquiterpenes, which serve as building blocks in the biosynthesis of mycotoxins . Other fungi, encountered as field or storage pest alike, are various Alternaria, Aspergillus, and Penicillium species.…”