title: Influence of various growth parameters on fungal growth and volatile metabolite production by indoor molds.
abstract: A Penicillium polonicum, an Aspergillus ustus and a Periconia britannica strain were isolated from water-damaged environments and the production of microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs) was investigated by means of headspace solid-phase microextraction followed by GC-MS analysis. The most important MVOCs produced were 2-methylisoborneol, geosmin and daucane-type sesquiterpenes for P. polonicum, 1-octen-3-ol, 3-octanone, germacrene D, δ-cadinene and other sesquiterpenes for A. ustus and the volatile mycotoxin precursor aristolochene together with valencene, α-selinene and β-selinene for P. britannica. Different growth conditions (substrate, temperature, relative humidity) were selected, resembling indoor parameters, to investigate their influence on fungal metabolism in relation with the sick building syndrome and the results were compared with two other fungal strains previously analyzed under the same conditions. In general, the range of MVOCs and the emitted quantities were larger on malt extract agar than on wallpaper and plasterboard, but, overall, the main MVOC profile was conserved also on the two building materials tested. The influence of temperature and relative humidity on growth and metabolism is different for different fungal species, and two main patterns of behavior could be distinguished. Results show that, even at suboptimal conditions for growth, production of fungal volatiles can be significant.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sustainable Organic Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium. viviana.polizzi@ugent.be
authors.forename: Viviana
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Polizzi
authors.forename: An
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Saeger
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Van Peteghem
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moretti
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: De Kimpe
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001892:Camphanes / Q000378:metabolism; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D006813:Humidity; D007659:Ketones / Q000378:metabolism; D003904:Mitosporic Fungi / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D009284:Naphthols / Q000378:metabolism; D000442:Octanols / Q000378:metabolism; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000378:metabolism; D045788:Sesquiterpenes, Germacrane / Q000378:metabolism; D018877:Sick Building Syndrome / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology*; D052616:Solid Phase Extraction; D013045:Species Specificity; D013696:Temperature; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001892:Camphanes; D007659:Ketones; D009284:Naphthols; D000442:Octanols; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; D045788:Sesquiterpenes, Germacrane; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds; C539285:selinene; C005536:2-methylisoborneol; C054277:aristolochene; C017582:3-octanone; C506706:valencene; C001278:geosmin; C027259:germacrene D; C038844:1-octen-3-ol