Volatile organic compound patterns predict fungal trophic mode and lifestyle

Yuan Guo,Robert R Junker,Karin Pritsch,Andrea Ghirardo,J Philipp Benz,Maaria Rosenkranz,Werner Jud,Fabian Weikl,Andrea Polle,Jörg-Peter Schnitzler

doi:10.1038/s42003-021-02198-8

Abstract

Fungi produce a wide variety of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which play central roles in the initiation and regulation of fungal interactions. Here we introduce a global overview of fungal VOC patterns and chemical diversity across phylogenetic clades and trophic modes. The analysis is based on measurements of comprehensive VOC profiles of forty-three fungal species. Our data show that the VOC patterns can describe the phyla and the trophic mode of fungi. We show different levels of phenotypic integration (PI) for different chemical classes of VOCs within distinct functional guilds. Further computational analyses reveal that distinct VOC patterns can predict trophic modes, (non)symbiotic lifestyle, substrate-use and host-type of fungi. Thus, depending on trophic mode, either individual VOCs or more complex VOC patterns (i.e., chemical communication displays) may be ecologically important. Present results stress the ecological importance of VOCs and serve as prerequisite for more comprehensive VOCs-involving ecological studies.

Highlights

Fungi produce a wide variety of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which play central roles in the initiation and regulation of fungal interactions
We detected a total of 256 volatile compounds from 43 fungal species (Fig. 1, for the fungal species please refer to Supplementary Table S151, for the individual VOCs please see Supplementary Tables S2 and S351)
Volatile organic compounds are increasingly recognized as biologically active molecules with a wide range of ecological functions[17,21,23]

Summary

Introduction

Fungi produce a wide variety of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which play central roles in the initiation and regulation of fungal interactions. Depending on trophic mode, either individual VOCs or more complex VOC patterns (i.e., chemical communication displays) may be ecologically important. Present results stress the ecological importance of VOCs and serve as prerequisite for more comprehensive VOCs-involving ecological studies These fungal functional guilds have been characterized by various traits encompassing genetic, enzymatic, morphological, and physiological metrics[12]. Though trait-based approaches have provided diverse perspectives to describe the multifold ecological functions of fungi, these approaches are far from covering all fungal functions in ecosystems[12,14]. It is, e.g., difficult to define the transition of individual species among different guilds and lifestyles. Plant performance can directly be impaired as shown for fVOC blends emitted by the phytopathogens Cochliobolus sativus and Fusarium culmorum[27]

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Conclusion