PRODUCTION OF VOLATILE SESQUITERPENES BY FUSARIUM-SAMBUCINUM STRAINS WITH DIFFERENT ABILITIES TO SYNTHESIZE TRICHOTHECENES

Twenty-five strains of Fusarium sambucinum grown on wheat kernels were examined for trichothecene production and the synthesis of volatile s esquiterpenes. The volatiles were purged with air and collected on Ten ax traps, Adsorbed compounds were eluted from the traps and injected i nto a gas chromatograph coupled with a mass spectrometer. Ten strains isolated from potato tubers produced high amounts of diacetoxyscirpeno l and its derivatives. These strains were characterized by the product ion of high amounts of diverse sesquiterpenes. In 10 cultures, 19 comp ounds were detected, of which 6 were predominant and composed as much as 82% of the volatile sesquiterpene fraction (e.g., beta-farnesene, b eta-chamigrene, beta-bisabolene, alpha-farnesene, trichodiene, and an unidentified compound), Fifteen strains isolated from various sources that did not produce trichothecenes produced much Less volatile sesqui terpenes, with less chemical diversity. No more than six compounds wer e present in cultures, Two of these compounds were present in the toxi genic strains isolated from potatoes (beta-farnesene and acoradiene), but four were unique to the strains not producing trichothecenes (long ifolene, isocaryophyllene, delta-elemene, and an unidentified one), Th e pattern of volatile sesquiterpenes was characteristic and distinctiv e for both toxic and nontoxic strains.