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Updated: Aug 19, 2026

Sexual Development and Ascospore Discharge in Fusarium graminearum
Published on: March 29, 2012
Chirality of the gamma-lactones formed by Fusarium poae INRA 45
A Latrasse1, E Guichard, C Piffaut
1National Institute for Agronomical Research (INRA), Flavor Research Laboratory, Dijon, France.
Abstract:
A filamentous fungus, Fusarium poae INRA 45, was grown in two liquid Czapek-type media (a Czapek medium, and a yeast extract plus casaminoacids-enriched Czapek medium). Eight gamma-lactones, i.e., gamma-penta-, gamma-octa-, gamma-nona-, gamma-deca-, and gamma-dodecalactone, (6Z)-gamma- and (6E)-gamma-dodecenolactones, and a di-unsaturated gamma-dodecalactone, were tentatively, or conclusively, identified by capillary gas chromatography (GC) and coupled GC-MS, in the volatile fractions of the cultures. Kinetics of the formation of gamma-dodecalactone, (6Z)-gamma- and (6E)-gamma-dodecenolactones, (three major lactones), and gamma-dodecalactone (a minor lactone) were quantitatively studied by computerized GC integration. Variations of the (R/S) ratios of the lactone enantiomers were quantitatively studied by computerized multidimensional gas chromatography (MDGC) integration. The levels of the lactones were superior in the enriched Czapek-type medium to those of the Czapek medium, but the compositions of these media did not influence significantly the (R/S) ratios of these lactones. Formation of the enantiomers is discussed in terms of metabolism of potential precursors.
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