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The Antifungal Compound Totarol of Thujopsis dolabrata var. hondai Seeds Selects for Fungi on Seedling Root Surfaces

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Abstract

Hinoki-asunaro (Thujopsis dolabrata Sieb. et Zucc. var. hondai Makino) is a tree endemic in Japan whose seeds produce several terpenoids. We hypothesized that antifungal compounds in seeds might select for fungi on the root surfaces of T. dolabrata var. hondai seedlings. We examined seed and soil fungi, their sensitivity to methanol extracts of the seeds, the fungi on root surfaces of seedlings grown in Kanuma pumice (a model mineral soil) and nursery soil, and the frequency at which each fungus was detected on the seedling root surface. We calculated correlation coefficients between fungal detection frequency on root surfaces and fungal sensitivity to seed extracts. We also isolated from the seeds the antifungal compound totarol that selected for fungi on root surfaces. Species of Alternaria, Cladosporium, Pestalotiopsis, and Phomopsis were the most frequently isolated fungi from seeds. Mortierella and Mucor were the dominant fungi isolated from Kanuma pumice, whereas Umbelopsis and Trichoderma were the main fungi isolated from nursery soil. Alternaria, Cladosporium, Mortierella, Pestalotiopsis, and Phomopsis were the dominant fungi isolated from root surfaces of seedlings grown in Kanuma pumice, and Alternaria, Cladosporium, Pestalotiopsis, Phomopsis, and Trichoderma were the main root-surface fungi isolated from seedlings grown in nursery soil. The fungal detection frequencies on root surfaces in both soils were significantly and negatively correlated with fungal sensitivity to the seed extract. A similar correlation was found between the fungal detection frequency on root surfaces and fungal sensitivity to totarol. We conclude that totarol is one factor that selects for fungi on root surfaces of T. dolabrata var. hondai in the early growth stage.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the Hiranai Hiba Forestry Research Group for providing us with nursery soil; the Forestry Technology Center, Tohoku Regional Forest Office, for helping with the seed collection; and Mr. N. Shimoda for technical help with our work in the nursery. Financial support was provided in part by Research Fellowships of Japan Society for the Promotion of Science for Young Scientists and by a research grant of the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Japan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1, Tennoudai, Tsukuba, 305-8572, Japan

    Keiko Yamaji

  2. Tohoku Research Center, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, 92-25 Nabeyashiki, Shimo-Kuriyagawa Morioka, Iwate, 020-0123, Japan

    Shigeta Mori

  3. Horonobe Research Institute for the Subsurface Environment, Northern Advancement Center for Science and Technology, 5-3 Sakaemachi, Horonobe-cho, Teshio-gun, Hokkaido, 098-3221, Japan

    Masaru Akiyama

  4. Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, 1 Matsunosato, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8687, Japan

    Atsushi Kato & Tadakazu Nakashima

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  1. Keiko Yamaji
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Correspondence to Keiko Yamaji.

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Yamaji, K., Mori, S., Akiyama, M. et al. The Antifungal Compound Totarol of Thujopsis dolabrata var. hondai Seeds Selects for Fungi on Seedling Root Surfaces. J Chem Ecol 33, 2254–2265 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-007-9390-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-007-9390-2

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