The polyol pattern of some fungi not hitherto investigated for sugar alcohols

Abstract

Polyols in the mycelia (or vegetative cells) of 27 species, including representatives from each of the major classes of fungi, were analyzed using thin-layer chromatography, paper electrophoresis, and gas chromatography. The polyol contents (as determined by gas chromatography) were always considerably less than 1% of the fungal dry matter in the Phycomycetes and usually well above this figure in the higher fungi, reaching maximum values in some Ascomycetes and Deuteromycetes (16, 15, and 13% in Endothia parasitica, Penicillium oxalicum, and Alternaria tenuissima, respectively). Polyols were absent in Achlya radiosa and Phytophthora cinnamomi, a result confirming earlier reports that Oomycetes lack sugar alcohols. In the Zygomycetes and Chytridiomycetes, generally considered to be also devoid of polyols, glycerol was present. Zygorhynchus moelleri and Mucor miehei contained ribitol. The polyol fraction of Blastocladiella emersonii and Allomyces arbusculus consisted almost exclusively of mannitol. This also dominated the polyol pattern of the higher fungi. In addition to mannitol, these usually contained glycerol. Erythritol was present in Monascus ruber, Penicillium brefeldianum, Penicillium italicum, P. oxalicum, and Verticillium fungicola, arabitol in A. tenuissima, P. italicum, P. oxalicum, and Rhizoctonia solani. In the discussion, special consideration is given to the phylogenetic implications of the results.