XVI International Botanical Congess
Hydrocarbon emissions of plants and micro-organisms, especially halogenated compounds, are widely discussed in regard to their effect on atmospheric chemistry. During a study on indoor air pollution by fungi, several chlorophenols were found to be produced by a freshly isolated strain of Aspergillus giganteus in two independent experiments. The biosynthesis of halogenated metabolites has already been described in basidiomycetes, but has not yet been observed in Deuteromycetes. Since such metabolites seemed to occur only in freshly isolated strains, it is likely that chloro-carbohydrates can be produced under natural conditions. Further studies may elucidate the capacity of microfungi to produce chloro-carbohydrates in different ecosystems.