Confirmation of the aerobic production of trimethylstibine by Scopulariopsis brevicaulis

The filamentous fungus Scopulariopsis brevicaulis produces volatile trimethylstibine, found in the culture headspace, when grown in an antimony(III)‐rich medium under aerobic conditions. The trimethylstibine was purged from cultures using a continuous flow of compressed air and trapped in a U‐shaped tube containing Supelcoport SP 2100 at −78 °C. The trap contents were determined by using GC–ICP–MS methodology. Typically between 60 and 500 pg of trimethylstibine was trapped during sampling (12 h) from cultures containing 1000 g Sb ml⁻¹ as potassium antimony tartrate. The total production of trimethylstibine over 18 days of growth was estimated at 10 ng. Trimethylarsine was produced in greater quantities than trimethylstibine, even though no arsenic compounds were added to the medium. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.