Siderophore production by Trichoderma spp. and its importance in the biological control of wood decay fungi

IRG/WP 94-10070

U Srinivasan, A Bruce, T L Highley

Competition for iron as well as other micro-nutrients is an essential component of the microbial ecology of many ecosystems. A wide range of micro-organisms including fungi and bacteria have been shown to increase their ability to efficiently capture iron through the production of specialised iron chelating compounds called siderophores. Since iron is in low supply in wood and has been implicated in the wood decay process by basidiomycete fungi, it is likely that any colonising organism which can capture the available iron may well act to biologically control the decay organisms. Many authors have reported that Trichoderma spp. can be used to control basidiomycetes (especially on agar systems) and a number of active mechanisms of antagonism have been identified. These have included competition for nutrients, mycoparasitism, antibiosis and production of volatile antibiotics. Little, however, has been reported on the importance of siderophores in the biological control of wood decay fungi. This paper reports on the ability of Trichoderma isolates to produce both phenolate and hydroxymate type siderophores and examines the potential role of such compounds in the biological control of wood decay fungi by Trichoderma isolates.


Keywords: BIOLOGICAL CONTROL; BASIDIOMYCETES; TRICHODERMA; IRON CHELATORS; SIDEROPHORES

Conference: 94-05-29...06-03, Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia


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