Abstract
Muscodor sutura is described as a novel species that is also an endophyte of Prestonia trifidi. Uniquely, this fungus produces a reddish pigment, on potato dextrose agar (PDA), when grown in the dark. In addition, the organism makes some volatile organic compounds that have not been previously reported from this genus, namely, thujopsene, chamigrene, isocaryophyllene, and butanoic acid, 2-methyl. These and other volatile compounds in the mixture possess wide-spectrum antifungal activity and no observable antibacterial activity. Most unusually, on PDA, the newly developing hyphae of this fungus grow in a perfect stitching pattern, in and out of the agar surface. The partial ITS–DNA sequence of this organism is identical to that of Muscodor vitigenus but it differs from all other Muscodor spp. Justification for a new species, as Muscodor sutura, is collectively based on morphological, cultural, chemical, and bioactivity properties.
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Acknowledgments
The authors appreciate the financial assistance from NSF and DoE grants to carry out this work. The BOYSCAST program of India granted a 1-year fellowship to S.Y.U.H. to study and work at MSU. The authors are grateful to Mr. Percy Nunez of Cusco, Peru, for generously identifying plant materials and providing the Latin description of this organism.
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Kudalkar, P., Strobel, G., Riyaz-Ul-Hassan, S. et al. Muscodor sutura, a novel endophytic fungus with volatile antibiotic activities. Mycoscience 53, 319–325 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10267-011-0165-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10267-011-0165-9