CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF CORTICROCIN, A YELLOW PIGMENT FORMED BY THE ECTOMYCORRHIZAL FUNGUS PILODERMA-CROCEUM

Corticrocin is synthesized by mycelia of Piloderma croceum in contrast to mycorradicin, which is deposited into the vacuoles of maize root c ells upon colonization with; arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Corticrocin is formed only when P. croceum is grown in darkness. This indicates t hat the compound is unlikely of a carotenoid origin which also follows from the chemical structure. Corticrocin is deposited at the surface of the fungal hyphae. The all-E-geometry of the polyunsaturated chain is confirmed by comparing the spectral and chromatographic properties of the natural product with a synthetic reference.