Effect of benomyl on the growth and lipid composition of Trichoderma koningii

The effect of the fungicide benomyl on growth and lipid composition of Trichoderma koningii was investigated. The fungal growth was strongly inhibited in the presence of 1 and 2 mg/L benomyl while lower concentrations (0.1 and 0.5 mg/L) increased the fungal biomass through the stimulation of mycelial branching. The total lipid and the total neutral lipid were decreased, while the total phospholipid was enhanced in benomyl-treated mycelia. Important quantitative changes were detected in the proportions of fatty acids, neutral lipid fractions (decrease of free sterols, diacylglycerols and free fatty acids and increase of triacylglycerols and sterol esters) and phospholipid constituents (decrease of phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylserine and increase of phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylinositol). The unsaturation index of the identified fatty acids was increased with increasing benomyl concentration.