Hi,
Firstly, I would like to know if fungi actually produce ammonia/ammonium themselves or is it a product of attack (pathogen) or decay (saprophyte)? In other word, pathogen enzymes cleave certain host metabolites leading to the production of ammonia/ammonium? Secondly, is ammonia, ammonium or both produced in this process? I assume its ammonium (NH4+) but it can easily convert to ammonia (NH3) depending on certain conditions (i.e. pH and temperature). I'm specifically working on Penicillium spp. that cause decay of stone fruit. Hope someone can help.
Regards,
Pieter
Ammonia is a product of decay by ammonifiers microorganisms. But there are ammonia fungi which are defined as a chemo-ecological group of fungi that sequentially develop reproductive structures exclusively or relatively luxuriantly on soil after a sudden addition of ammonia, alkalies or other nitrogenous materials that react directly as a base or indirectly as a base after decomposition (Sagara, 1975). Generally autotrophic fungi may dominate ammonia oxidation and nitrate production rather than heterotrophic fungi.
Hi Johannes: Please find these useful links
Article Effect of Ammonia Production by Colletotrichum gloeosporioid...
http://www.microbiologyresearch.org/docserver/fulltext/micro/140/4/mic-140-4-977.pdf?expires=1509633323&id=id&accname=guest&checksum=6DFDFB271D32F675FD2AB3DEC05B4285
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