Plant growth regulators from the liquid culture of <i>Lepista sordida</i>

"Fairy rings" are zones that stimulate or inhibit grass growth, caused by interactions between a fungus and a grass. Lepista sordida is one of the fairy ring-forming fungi. (1S,2S)-1-(4-chloro-3-methoxyphenyl)propane-1,2-diol (1) along with 10 compounds (2-11) was isolated from the culture broth and mycelia of L. sordida. The structures were identified by spectroscopic data analyses, and this was the first reported isolation of 1 from a natural source. The plant growth regulatory activity of 3-6 was investigated using bentgrass seedlings. Compound 3 promoted root growth at 0.1 μmol/paper, while inhibited it at 1 μmol/paper. Compound 4 inhibited root growth at 0.1 and 1 μmol/paper. Compound 6 significantly promoted shoot growth at 1 μmol/paper.