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ARS Home » Southeast Area » New Orleans, Louisiana » Southern Regional Research Center » Food Processing and Sensory Quality Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #177684
Title: Comparison of volatile metabolites produced by two strains of ASPERGILLUS VERSICOLOR varying in allergenicity.

Author
item Grimm, Casey
item Klich, Maren

Submitted to: Journal of Chromatographic Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/20/2005
Publication Date: 10/12/2005
Citation: Grimm, C.C., Klich, M.A. 2005. Comparison of volatile metabolites produced by two strains of aspergillus versicolor varying in allergenicity. Journal of Chromatographic Science.

Interpretive Summary: This report compares the volatile compounds produced by two strains of fungi (Aspergillus versicolor) grown on various media, including drywall and ceiling tile. One isolate caused a reaction in a mold-sensitive indoor air specialist while the other did not. The two strains varied in production of a number of volatile compounds, and indicated that a biosynthetic pathway was much more active in one strain relative to the other. This pathway is known to produce some toxic compounds. This information would be of interest to other researchers in their area of toxicology.

Technical Abstract: This report compares the volatile profiles of two strains of Aspergillus versicolor. The two isolates were selected for analysis based on the fact that one isolate caused a reaction in a mold-sensitive indoor air specialist, while the other did not. Fungi were grown on two agar media, cellulose ceiling tile, and gypsum wallboard. Media were inoculated every other day over a two-week period, and analyzed in a single batch over a one-day period. The two strains varied in production of a number of volatile compounds. Metabolic volatile compounds such as 3-methyl-1-butanol, 3-hexanone, and 1-octen-3-ol rapidly increased with the reactive strain showing a much greater increase relative to the non-reactive strain, followed by a gradual decrease over the two-week period. The mevalonic acid pathway is much more active in the reactive strain relative to the non-reactive strain. Several diterpenes were observed in the reactive strain and not in the non-reactive strain, and a greater number of terpenes and sesquiterpenes were observed in the reactive strain as well. This may indicate that the unknown reactive substance might result from the mevalonic acid pathway.