Abstract
Fungal volatile organic compounds (FVOCs) can act as intra- and inter-kingdom communication signals that influence the growth and behaviors of organisms involved in antagonistic or mutualistic relationships with fungi. There is growing evidence suggesting that FVOCs can mediate interactions between organisms within and across different ecological niches. Bark beetles have established mutualistic relationships with ophiostomatoid fungi which can serve as a food source and condition host plant tissues for developing beetle larvae. While the profiles (both composition and concentrations) of volatile emission from ophiostomatoid fungi can be influenced by abiotic factors, whether emissions from a given fungal species can be influenced by those from another is still unknown. Here, we analyzed FVOCs emitted from the two ophiostomatoid fungi, Grosmannia clavigera and Ophiostoma ips, associated with mountain pine beetle and pine engraver beetle, respectively, when each fungus was growing alone or in a shared headspace. We used two isolates of each fungus species. Overall, we detected a total of eight volatiles in both G. clavigera alone or in combination with O. ips including acetoin, ethyl acetate, cis-grandisol, isoamyl alcohol, isobutanol, 2-methyl-1-butanol, phenethyl acetate, and phenethyl alcohol. The profiles of volatiles emitted differed between the two fungal species but not between the two isolates of the same fungus. Six compounds were common between the species, whereas two compounds were detected only when G. clavigera was present. Moreover, the majority of volatiles were detected less frequently and at lower concentrations when the two fungi were grown together in a shared headspace. These results are likely due to reduced volatile emissions from O. ips in the presence of G. clavigera. However, changes in the profiles of fungal volatiles did not correspond with the observed changes in the growth of either species. Overall, these results suggest that the similarities in fungal volatiles among different species of fungi may reflect a common ecological niche and that the differences may correspond to species-specific adaptation to their respective host beetles or genetic factors.
Highlights
Ecological interactions between fungi and other organisms can be mediated by fungal volatile organic compounds (FVOCs) (Davis et al, 2013; Hung et al, 2015; Kandasamy et al, 2016, 2019; Schulz-Bohm et al, 2017)
Eight compounds were detected from the headspace of G. clavigera and O. ips isolates growing either alone or in the presence of the other species: acetoin, ethyl acetate, cis-grandisol, isoamyl alcohol, isobutanol, 2-methyl-1-butanol, phenethyl acetate, and phenethyl alcohol (Table 1)
The Fungal volatile organic compounds (FVOCs) profiles of compounds varied among treatments, as the profiles were influenced by fungal species and whether the fungus was growing alone or in the presence of FVOCs of the other species
Summary
Ecological interactions between fungi and other organisms can be mediated by fungal volatile organic compounds (FVOCs) (Davis et al, 2013; Hung et al, 2015; Kandasamy et al, 2016, 2019; Schulz-Bohm et al, 2017). These compounds can act as intra- and inter-kingdom communication signals to influence the behaviors of animals involved in antagonisms or mutualisms with fungi (Schulz-Bohm et al, 2017; Schenkel et al, 2018; Zhao et al, 2019). How the outcomes of such interactions could be indirectly influenced by factors that affect FVOC emissions is unknown
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