[ Objective] The study was to investigate the volatile components of secondary metabolites from M. alpine producing arachidonic acid and explore the changes in its metabolic pathway. [ Method] The air above M. alpine broth was extracted by solid-phase microextraction（SPME） during the post-exponential phase of growth and analyzed by GC-MS. [Result] 13 compounds were identified, 12 of which were sesquiterpenes with C15H24 formula and accounting for 99.62% of the complete compounds. Thujopsene-（ 12）, α-Guaiene and Aristolene were three most sesquiterpenes accounting for 10.66%, 33.69% and 34.85% of total content respectively. It can be sufficiently certified that sesquiterpene metabolic pathway existing in M. alpine. [ Coclusion] Metabolic flux of sesquiterpene pathway increased to improve its mass accumulation, because one or several key enzyme genes mutation in isoprene or sesquiterpene pathway enhanced their activities during induction of mutation from initial strain.
