Beauvericin Decreases Cell Viability of Wheat

Recently, beauvericin (BEA) has been recognized as an important toxic compound synthesized by several Fusarium strains, infecting maize, wheat, and rice, worldwide. The effects of BEA on mammalian cells have been studied; however, its effects on the function of host plant cells are largely unknown. The purpose of our work was to assess whether BEA can affect the root and leaf cells of wheat cultivar (cv.) ‘Arina’ seedlings, using a cytotoxicity assay and fluorescence microscopy. Toxigenicity during wheat germination was higher in BEA‐treated wheat seedlings than in non‐treated seedlings (control). Leaf primordial, situated at the base and the tips of treated leaves, were more affected by BEA compared to the control when assayed in medium for cell viability measured by luminescent equipment. BEA‐Treated plant cells secrete adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to the extracellular matrix and invoke more luminescence by luciferase than the non‐treated seedlings. Our results were confirmed by fluorescence microscopy following ‘4′,6‐diamidino‐2‐phenylindole’ (DAPI) staining and by confocal microscopy. In addition, the bioluminescent protein luciferase was observed in the intracellular space indicating presence of ATP. The incidence of nuclear fragmentation increased significantly in cells of seedlings treated with BEA at 40 μM concentration implying that the intracellular phytotoxin BEA plays an important role, possibly as a mediator in cell‐death signalling.