Host-derived media used as a predictor for low abundant, in planta metabolite production from necrotrophic fungi

Aims: Penicillium ser. Corymbifera strains were assayed on a variety of media and from infected Allium cepa tissues to evaluate the stimulation and in planta prediction of low abundance metabolites. Methods and Results: Stimulated production of corymbiferones and the corymbiferan lactones were observed for Penicillium albocoremium, Penicillium allii, Penicillium hirsutum Penicillium hordei and Penicillium venetum strains, cultured on tissue media. Target metabolites were sporadically detected from strains cultured on common laboratory media (CYA, MEA and YES). Up to a 376 times increase in corymbiferone and corymbiferan lactone production was observed when culture extracts from CYA and A. cepa agar were compared by high pressure liquid chromatography with ultraviolet and mass spectrometry (LC-UV-MS). The novel metabolite corymbiferone B was purified and structure elucidated from a P. allii/A. cepa tissue medium extract. In planta expression of low abundance, target metabolites were confirmed from infected A. cepa tissue extracts by LC-UV-MS. Conclusions: Secondary metabolite production was directly dependent and influenced by media conditions, resulting in the stimulated production of low abundance metabolites on host-derived media. Significance and Impact of the Study: The use of macerated host tissue media can be applied in vitro to predict in planta expression of low abundance metabolites and aid in metabolite origin annotation during in planta metabolomic investigations at the host/pathogen interface.