ARS | Publication request: DEMARCATING THE ENDS OF THE FUSARIUM CORE TRICHOTHECENE GENE CLUSTER

Submitted to: Gordon Research Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: June 21, 2002
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: Fusarium species produce a variety of toxic sesquiterpenoid trichothecenes including T-2 toxin, deoxynivalenol (DON) and nivalenol (NIV). These toxins are potent inhibitors of protein synthesis and are a significant agricultural problem due to their detrimental affect on human and animal health. Almost all of the genes so far characterized involved in trichothecene biosynthesis in Fusarium sporotrichioides and F. graminearum are located in a cluster comprised of 12 open reading frames (ORFs). At present, the biochemical pathway leading from farnesyl pyrophosphate to T-2 toxin in F. sporotrichioides includes 15 steps. The genes so far characterized account for 8 of these steps. This study examines nucleotide sequence upstream and downstream from the core cluster from both Fusarium in an effort to discover additional genes that may account for the uncharacterized steps in the pathway. Sequence analysis, gene expression and gene disruption studies described here demarcate the 3' and 5' extent of the trichothecene gene cluster.