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ARS Home » Southeast Area » New Orleans, Louisiana » Southern Regional Research Center » Food and Feed Safety Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #424106
Research Project: Aflatoxin Control through Identification of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Factors Governing the Aspergillus Flavus-Corn Interaction

Location: Food and Feed Safety Research

Title: A Primer on Fungal Volatiles

Author
item BENNETT, JOAN - Rutgers University
item Moore, Geromy

Submitted to: Current Biology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/9/2025
Publication Date: 6/9/2025
Citation: Bennett, J.W., Moore, G.G. 2025. A Primer on Fungal Volatiles. Current Biology. 35(11).pg R508-R513. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2025.03.007.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2025.03.007

Interpretive Summary: Fungal volatiles are becoming an important area of research due to their impacts on humans and other living organisms. However, they are not well characterized. This document serves as a primer for a general scientific audience on fungal volatiles and their importance to the world around the fungi that produce them. Included are examples of fungal volatiles and the means by which they are collected and characterized.

Technical Abstract: Fungi emit small molecules of chemical compounds that are commonly referred to as volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Some of these VOCs are beneficial, such as for food additives and fragrances, while others are harmful to organisms that are exposed to them (e.g., sick building syndrome). Through research involving gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, the identities of fungal VOCs can be elucidated. Through interaction studies, fungal VOCs have been exploited as agents of biocontrol and antimicrobials. VOCs like 1-octen-3-ol (i.e., mushroom alcohol) are produced by many species of fungi as a self-regulating compound or as an inhibitor of competing microbes. Other VOCs serve as insect attractants, or as inhibitors of phytopathogens. The complexity of fungal VOCs is still being uncovered, and they are providing avenues of research that are at the frontiers of mycology and microbiology.