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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Peoria, Illinois » National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research » Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #343328
Research Project: Novel Methods for Controlling Trichothecene Contamination of Grain and Improving the Climate Resilience of Food Safety and Security Programs

Location: Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research

Title: Fusarium mycotoxins: a trans-disciplinary overview

Author
item Bakker, Matthew
item Brown, Daren
item Kim, Hye-Seon
item Kelly, Amy
item Kurtzman, Cletus
item McCormick, Susan
item O Donnell, Kerry
item Proctor, Robert
item Vaughan, Martha
item Ward, Todd

Submitted to: Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/26/2018
Publication Date: 2/27/2018
Citation: Bakker, M.G., Brown, D.W., Kelly, A.C., Kim, H.-S., Kurtzman, C.P., McCormick, S.P., O'Donnell, K.L., Proctor, R.H., Vaughan, M.M., Ward, T.J. 2018. Fusarium mycotoxins: a trans-disciplinary overview. Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology. 40(2):161-171. https://doi.org/10.1080/07060661.2018.1433720.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/07060661.2018.1433720

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Due to health risks and economic losses associated with mycotoxins produced by plant pathogenic Fusarium species, there is a compelling need for improved understanding of these fungi from across diverse perspectives and disciplinary approaches. Phylogenetic studies have made tremendous progress in delineating the species that comprise the genus Fusarium, many of which are morphologically cryptic. Control of mycotoxin contamination will be facilitated by accurate species identification and a thorough understanding of the distribution of mycotoxin biosynthetic genes among those species. The biochemical pathways leading to the formation of several Fusarium mycotoxins have been elegantly linked with the genes responsible for each chemical transformation during synthesis, and for most structural differences among chemotypes. Screens for the biotransformation of mycotoxins have led to the description of chemical modifications that impact bioactivity and have implications for monitoring and testing of the food supply. Population biology studies have revealed the potential for introductions of foreign genotypes to dramatically alter regional populations of mycotoxigenic fusaria. Genomic analyses have begun to reveal the complex evolutionary history of the genes responsible for mycotoxin production, both across and within lineages. Improved understanding of how climate variability impacts plant-Fusarium interactions and mycotoxin accumulation has tremendous potential to lead to improved plant resistance to mycotoxigenic fusaria. Additionally, improved understanding of interactions between Fusarium and other members of crop microbiomes has the potential to reveal novel strategies for limiting disease and mycotoxin accumulation.