title: An endophytic Phomopsis sp. possessing bioactivity and fuel potential with its volatile organic compounds.
abstract: An unusual Phomopsis sp. was isolated as endophyte of Odontoglossum sp. (Orchidaceae), associated with a cloud forest in Northern Ecuador. This fungus produces a unique mixture of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including sabinene (a monoterpene with a peppery odor) only previously known from higher plants. In addition, some of the other more abundant VOCs recorded by GC/MS in this organism were 1-butanol, 3-methyl; benzeneethanol; 1-propanol, 2-methyl and 2-propanone. The gases of Phomopsis sp. possess antifungal properties and an artificial mixture of the VOCs mimicked the antibiotic effects of this organism with the greatest bioactivity against a wide range of plant pathogenic test fungi including: Pythium, Phytophthora, Sclerotinia, Rhizoctonia, Fusarium, Botrytis, Verticillium, and Colletotrichum. The IC(50) values for the artificial gas mixture of Phomopsis sp. varied between 8 and 25.65 μl/mL. Proton transfer reaction-mass spectrometry monitored the concentration of VOCs emitted by Phomopsis sp. and yielded a total VOC concentration of ca. 18 ppmv in the head space at the seventh day of incubation at 23°C on PDA. As with many VOC-producing endophytes, this Phomopsis sp. did survive and grow in the presence of the inhibitory gases of Muscodor albus. A discussion is presented on the possible involvement of VOC production by the fungus and its role in the biology/ecology of the fungus/plant/environmental relationship.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA.
authors.forename: Sanjay K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Gary A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Strobel
authors.forename: Berk
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Knighton
authors.forename: Brad
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Geary
authors.forename: Joe
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sears
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ezra
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D001203:Ascomycota / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D005658:Fungi / Q000187:drug effects; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D029595:Orchidaceae / Q000382:microbiology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds