Summary
Ergosta-5,7,22-tri-3-enol (ergosterol) was identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in roots of berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum L., cv. Landsorte) and sweet corn (Zea mays L., cv. Honeycomb-F1) infected with the vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungus Glomus intraradices. The fungal-derived compound ergosterol was determined quantitatively in root extracts using reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography. The concentrations of ergosterol in VAM-infected roots reached 72 μ g-1 dry material in berseem and 52 μ g-1 in sweet corn after 80 days of growth, whereas concentrations in non-infected roots remained below 8 μ g-1 dry weight. Additionally, phytosterols such as β-sitosterol, campesterol, and stigmasterol were detected in both infected and non-infected roots. Ergosterol, as a characteristic fungal substance, is proposed as an indicator of fungal biomass in the early stages of VAM infection.
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Frey, B., Buser, H.R. & Schüepp, H. Identification of ergosterol in vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae. Biol Fertil Soils 13, 229–234 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00340581
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00340581