Kudalkar, P; Strobel, G; Riyaz-Ul-Hassan, S; Geary, B; Sears, Joe
Muscodor sutura is described as a novel species that is
also an endophyte of Prestonia trifidi. Uniquely, this fungus produces a reddish pigment, on
potato dextrose agar (PDA), when grown in the dark. In addition, the organism makes some volatile
organic compounds that have not been previously reported from this genus, namely, thujopsene,
chamigrene, isocaryophyllene, and butanoic acid, 2-methyl. These and other volatile compounds in
the mixture possess wide-spectrum antifungal activity and no observable antibacterial activity.
Most unusually, on PDA, the newly developing hyphae of this fungus grow in a perfect stitching
pattern, in and out of the agar surface. The partial ITS-DNA sequence of this organism is
identical to that of Muscodor vitigenus but it differs from all other Muscodor spp. Justification
for a new species, as Muscodor sutura, is collectively based on morphological, cultural,
chemical, and bioactivity properties.