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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #59666
Title: IDENTIFICATION OF ANTIFUNGAL COMPOUNDS FROM POTENTIAL BIOCONTROL AGENT ENTEROBACTER CLOACAE NRRL B-21050

Author
item Burkhead, Karen
item Slininger, Patricia - Pat
item Schisler, David
item Bothast, Rodney

Submitted to: American Society of Pharmacognosy
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/27/1995
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: As part of a research program to develop biological control agents to protect potatoes from fungal pathogens such as Fusarium sambucinum, microbial isolates which are most effective at disease suppression are being examined for the production of antifungal compounds. Investigation of Enterobacter cloacae (NRRL B-21050) has identified several antifungal compounds which are metabolites of aromatic amino acids. The major antifungal compound produced in Sabouraud maltose broth (SMB) is phenylacetic acid. Tyrosol and tyrosol monoacetate have also been purified from extracts of SMB-grown Enterobacter cloacae. When a semi-defined medium which is higher in tryptophan was used, a different compound was detected by TLC-bioautography as the major antifungal metabolite. Spectral evidence suggests identity of the compound with indoleacetic acid. To our knowledge, none of the identified compounds has been previously reported as san antifungal metabolite of an Enterobacter species. Future investigation will involve continuing identification of additional bioactive compounds produced by this strain and by other microbial isolates and studies on the potential roles of these compounds in biological control of potato pathogens.