Rocky Mountain Research Station Publications
RMRS Online Publication - Journal
Articles, External Publications, and Special Reports
Naphthalene, an insect repellent, is produced
by Muscodor vitigenus, a novel endophytic fungus
Daisy, Bryn H.; Strobel, Gary A.; Castillo, Uvidelio; Ezra, David; Sears, Joe; Weaver, David K.; Runyon, Justin B. 2002. Naphthalene, an insect repellent, is produced by Muscodor vitigenus, a novel endophytic fungus. Microbiology. 148: 3737-3741.
Muscodor vitigenus is a recently described endophytic fungus of Paullinia paullinioides, a liana growing in the understorey of the rainforests of the Peruvian Amazon. This fungus produces naphthalene under certain cultural conditions. Naphthalene produced by M. vitigenus was identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Its chromatographic and mass spectral properties were identical to authentic naphthalene. Agar plugs supporting growth of the fungus and producing known amounts of naphthalene effectively repelled the adult stage of the wheat stem sawfly, Cephus cinctus, in Y-tube bioassay tests. Authentic naphthalene, at comparable concentrations to those in tests involving the fungus itself, mimicked the insect repellency of the fungus. Although other Muscodor spp. produce volatile antimicrobials, M. vitigenus is unique in its ability to produce naphthalene almost exclusively. This report also describes the potential practical implications of M. vitigenus.
Keywords: endophyte, organic volatiles, insects
About PDFs: For best results, do not open the PDF in your Web browser. Right-click on the PDF link to download the PDF file directly to your computer. Click here for more PDF help.
Download Article
http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs_other/rmrs_2002_daisy_b001.pdf
PDF File Size: 245 K
Title: RMRS Other
Publications: Naphthalene, an insect repellent, is produced by
Muscodor vitigenus, a novel endophytic fungus
Electronic Publish Date: January 15, 2009
Last Update: January
15, 2009