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Detection of hydroxyl radicals produced by wood-decomposing fungi

Tornberg, Karin LU and Olsson, Stefan LU (2002) In FEMS Microbiology Ecology 40(1). p.13-20
Abstract
The hydroxyl radical (.OH) is believed to act as the small non-enzymatic agent involved in the brown-rot decay of wood. However, knowledge about the relation between hydroxyl radical production and the activity of wood-decomposing fungi in wood or about the significance of these radicals during interactions with other organisms is limited due to a lack of reliable methods for detecting the radicals. A sensitive and specific fluorescence method was developed in this study to detect the production of .OH by wood-decomposing fungal species. The method was based on the hydroxylation of coumarin-3-carboxylic acid, which produces 7-hydroxy-coumarin-3-carboxylic acid (7-OHCCA), a fluorescent, stable and specific product. Wood discs colonized by... (More)
The hydroxyl radical (.OH) is believed to act as the small non-enzymatic agent involved in the brown-rot decay of wood. However, knowledge about the relation between hydroxyl radical production and the activity of wood-decomposing fungi in wood or about the significance of these radicals during interactions with other organisms is limited due to a lack of reliable methods for detecting the radicals. A sensitive and specific fluorescence method was developed in this study to detect the production of .OH by wood-decomposing fungal species. The method was based on the hydroxylation of coumarin-3-carboxylic acid, which produces 7-hydroxy-coumarin-3-carboxylic acid (7-OHCCA), a fluorescent, stable and specific product. Wood discs colonized by fungi were placed on water agar containing coumarin-3-carboxylic acid, where the formation of 7-OHCCA occurred and the fluorescence could be measured. The production of .OH was above the detection limit for eight of the 10 fungal species. The highest level, 8-25 times that of the detection limit, was produced by the brown-rot fungus Antrodia vaillantii. In interaction experiments where A. vaillantii had established contact with the antagonistic bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens, the production of .OH increased, whereas contact with Bacillus subtilis did not change the amount of .OH generated compared with controls containing only the fungus. In contrast, the production of .OH increased above the control level when the fungus Coniophora puteana was in contact with any of these bacteria. The method was also tested in soil, with the result that 40% of 7-OHCCA added to the soil could be recovered with K2HPO4 buffer. (Less)
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type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
FEMS Microbiology Ecology
volume
40
issue
1
pages
13 - 20
publisher
Oxford University Press
external identifiers
  • wos:000175873400002
  • scopus:0036109102
ISSN
1574-6941
DOI
10.1016/S0168-6496(02)00200-3
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
aa0afa66-1696-46cd-b63c-fab330f5f5eb (old id 149436)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 17:16:05
date last changed
2022-02-13 03:53:05
@article{aa0afa66-1696-46cd-b63c-fab330f5f5eb,
  abstract     = {{The hydroxyl radical (.OH) is believed to act as the small non-enzymatic agent involved in the brown-rot decay of wood. However, knowledge about the relation between hydroxyl radical production and the activity of wood-decomposing fungi in wood or about the significance of these radicals during interactions with other organisms is limited due to a lack of reliable methods for detecting the radicals. A sensitive and specific fluorescence method was developed in this study to detect the production of .OH by wood-decomposing fungal species. The method was based on the hydroxylation of coumarin-3-carboxylic acid, which produces 7-hydroxy-coumarin-3-carboxylic acid (7-OHCCA), a fluorescent, stable and specific product. Wood discs colonized by fungi were placed on water agar containing coumarin-3-carboxylic acid, where the formation of 7-OHCCA occurred and the fluorescence could be measured. The production of .OH was above the detection limit for eight of the 10 fungal species. The highest level, 8-25 times that of the detection limit, was produced by the brown-rot fungus Antrodia vaillantii. In interaction experiments where A. vaillantii had established contact with the antagonistic bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens, the production of .OH increased, whereas contact with Bacillus subtilis did not change the amount of .OH generated compared with controls containing only the fungus. In contrast, the production of .OH increased above the control level when the fungus Coniophora puteana was in contact with any of these bacteria. The method was also tested in soil, with the result that 40% of 7-OHCCA added to the soil could be recovered with K2HPO4 buffer.}},
  author       = {{Tornberg, Karin and Olsson, Stefan}},
  issn         = {{1574-6941}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{13--20}},
  publisher    = {{Oxford University Press}},
  series       = {{FEMS Microbiology Ecology}},
  title        = {{Detection of hydroxyl radicals produced by wood-decomposing fungi}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0168-6496(02)00200-3}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/S0168-6496(02)00200-3}},
  volume       = {{40}},
  year         = {{2002}},
}