Light Regulates Secreted Metabolite Production and Antagonistic Activity in <i>Trichoderma</i>

Secondary metabolism is one of the main mechanisms <i>Trichoderma</i> uses to explore and colonize new niches, and 6-pentyl-α-pyrone (6-PP) is an important secondary metabolite in this process. This work focused on standardizing a method to investigate the production of 6-PP. Ethanol and...

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Main Authors: Edgardo Ulises Esquivel-Naranjo, Hector Mancilla-Diaz, Rudi Marquez-Mazlin, Hossein Alizadeh, Diwakar Kandula, John Hampton, Artemio Mendoza-Mendoza
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-12-01
Series:Journal of Fungi
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/11/1/9
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Summary:Secondary metabolism is one of the main mechanisms <i>Trichoderma</i> uses to explore and colonize new niches, and 6-pentyl-α-pyrone (6-PP) is an important secondary metabolite in this process. This work focused on standardizing a method to investigate the production of 6-PP. Ethanol and ethyl acetate were both effective solvents for quantifying 6-PP in solution and had limited solubility in potato–dextrose–broth media. The 6-PP extraction using ethyl acetate provided a rapid and efficient process to recover this metabolite. The 6-PP was readily produced during the development of <i>Trichoderma atroviride</i> growing in the dark, but light suppressed its production. The 6-PP was purified, and its spectrum by nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectroscopy was identical to that of commercial 6-PP. Light also induced or suppressed other unidentified metabolites in several other species of <i>Trichoderma</i>. The antagonistic activity of <i>T. atroviride</i> was influenced by light, as suppression of plant pathogens was greater in the dark. The secreted metabolite production on potato–dextrose–agar was differentially regulated by light, indicating that <i>Trichoderma</i> produced several metabolites with antagonistic activity against plant pathogens. Light has an important influence on the secondary metabolism and antagonistic activity of <i>Trichoderma</i>, and this trait is of key relevance for selecting antagonistic <i>Trichoderma</i> strains for plant protection.
ISSN:2309-608X