ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Plant Sci.
Sec. Plant Symbiotic Interactions
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpls.2025.1546050
Combined analysis of the endophytic fungi and volatile oil content of different Aquilaria sinensis germplasms revealed the correlations between endophytic fungal abundances and agarwood production
Provisionally accepted
- 1Hainan Branch of Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medicinal Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Haikou, China
- 2Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
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Agarwood, a prized aromatic resin from Aquilaria sinensis, is formed as a defensive response to injury or fungal infection. However, the factors influencing its chemical composition remain poorly understood. This study aimed to explore the relationship between endophytic fungal communities and volatile oil content in ordinary-type and Qinan-type A. sinensis. Using high-throughput sequencing, we analyzed the fungal composition in both the healthy wood and agarwood layers of different A. sinensis germplasms. Additionally, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was employed to quantify the volatile oil content. The results revealed that the fungal community composition in the agarwood layer differed between the two types of A. sinensis, with Fusarium, Hermatomyces, and Rhinocladiella linked to sesquiterpene production (r>0.8, p<0.01), while Microidium, Cladosporium, and Cephalotrichum were associated with chromone levels (r>0.8, p<0.01). Furthermore, the volatile oil content in Qinan-type agarwood was significantly higher than that in ordinary-type agarwood, with distinct chemical profiles observed in each germplasm. These findings provide critical insights into the role of endophytic fungi in shaping agarwood's chemical composition and have practical implications for enhancing agarwood production in the industry. Consequently, this research has significant implications for the agarwood industry, as it enhances our understanding of how fungi influence resin quality and paves the way for improving the efficiency of agarwood induction, ultimately leading to higher-quality and more sustainable production.
Keywords: Aquilaria sinensis, Agarwood, Qinan-type agarwood, endophytic fungi, volatile oil
Received: 16 Dec 2024; Accepted: 14 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 ZHANG, JIANG, DOU, FAN, WEI and CHEN. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Jianhe WEI, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
Xuyu CHEN, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
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