Fungal–copper interactions in wood examined with large field of view synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence microscopy

ABSTRACTThe goal of this study was to demonstrate how synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence microscopy (XFM) can be used to better understand the mechanisms of copper tolerance in wood decay fungi. Copper is a major component in commercial wood preservatives as it is toxic to many wood decay fungi. However, certain fungi are copper tolerant and can attack preservative-treated wood, resulting in structural damage to treated wood members. Here we used large-field XFM to visualize six different elements (K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu, and Zn) in the mycelia and wood inoculated with four different species of brown rot wood decay fungi. Wood blocks were partially dipped into a solution of copper sulfate, exposed to fungi in malt extract agar petri dish assays for nine weeks, and then imaged and compared to blocks that were partially dipped in water. The blocks were imaged immediately adjacent to an end-matched control that was placed in malt extract agar petri dish assays for 9 weeks, but not exposed to the fungi so that t...