The effect of heartwood fungi of Pinus contorta var. latifolia on pinosylvin, pinosylvinmonomethyl ether, pinobanksin, and pinocembrin

Abstract

The heartwood of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. var. latifolia Engelm.) contains considerable amounts of fungitoxic phenolics, but also possesses an extensive fungus flora. Two of the most frequently isolated fungi, Peniophora pseudo-pini Weres. & Gibson and Tympanis hypopodia Nyl., effected the most rapid decrease in concentration of pinosylvin, pinosylvinmonomethyl ether, pinocembrin, and pinobanksin in lodgepole pine heartwood meal. Three mechanisms for the removal of pinosylvin were observed. The laccase-producing ascomycetes, Coryne sarcoides (Dicks. ex Fr.) Bon. and T. hypopodia, caused a decrease in optical density as well as a maximum absorption shift of pinosylvin from 310 mμ to 300 mμ. This shift could be related to the appearance of a new compound which absorbed at 300 mμ. Three laccase-producing basidiomycetes, P. pseudo-pini, Stereum sanguinolentum Alb. & Schw. ex Fr., and Fomes pini (Thore ex Fr.) Lloyd, caused decreases in the concentration of pinosylvin that were concurrent with red stain formation in infected heartwood meal, but were not associated with maximum absorption shifts. The non-laccase-producing brown rot fungus, Coniophora puteana Schum. ex Fr., caused a maximum absorption shift of pinosylvin from 310 to 320 mμ. However, the concentration of altered pinosylvin did not decrease below that of pinosylvin in the control. All fungi were living at the conclusion of the experiment.