Production of trichothecene mycotoxins byFusarium graminearum andFusarium culmorum on barley and wheat

Wheat cultivars (Stoa, MN87150, SuMai-3, YMI-6, Wheaton) and barley cultivars (Robust, Excel, Chevron, M69) were inoculated in the field with isolates ofFusarium graminearum andF. culmorum. The diseased (Fusarium head blight) kernels were analyzed for deoxynivalenol (DON), 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol (15-ADON) and nivalenol (NIV).F. culmorum produced all three trichothecenes on all cultivars tested whereasF. graminearum only produced DON and 15-ADON. There was no well defined correlation between DON production in the host and resistance although the data tended to favor SuMai-3 as having definitive resistance to bothF. graminearum andF. culmorum.Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station, Paper No. 20 279.     

Novel Fusarium head blight pathogens from Nepal and Louisiana revealed by multilocus genealogical concordance

This study was conducted to assess evolutionary relationships, species diversity and trichothecene toxin potential of five Fusarium graminearum complex (FGSC) isolates identified as genetically novel during prior Fusarium head blight (FHB) surveys in Nepal and Louisiana. Results of a multilocus genotyping (MLGT) assay for B-trichothecene species determination indicated these isolates might represent novel species within the FGSC. GCPSR-based phylogenetic analyses of a 12-gene dataset, comprising portions of seven loci totaling 13.1 kb of aligned DNA sequence data, provided strong support for the genealogical exclusivity of the Nepalese and Louisianan isolates. Accordingly, both species are formally recognized herein as novel FGSC species. Fusarium nepalense was resolved as the sister lineage of Fusarium ussurianum + Fusarium asiaticum within an Asian subclade of the FGSC. Fusarium louisianense was strongly supported as a reciprocally monophyletic sister of Fusarium gerlachii + F. graminearum, suggesting that this subclade might be endemic to North America. Multilocus Bayesian species tree analyses augment these results and provide evidence for a distinct lineage within F. graminearum predominately from the Gulf Coast of Louisiana. As predicted by the MLGT assay, mycotoxin analyses demonstrated that F. nepalense and F. louisianense could produce 15ADON and nivalenol, respectively, in planta. In addition, both species were only able to induce mild FHB symptoms on wheat in pathogenicity experiments.     

Changes in fungi and mycotoxins in pearl millet under controlled storage conditions

Pearl millet is increasingly being grown as a premium-value grain for the recreational wildlife and poultry industries in the southern US. We conducted three experiments to assess grain mold development in storage conditions typically encountered in the region of production. Variables included production year, temperature, relative humidity, atmosphere, and grain moisture content. In the first experiment, grain was stored for 9 weeks at 20 or 25°C and maintained at 86% or 91% relative humidity (r.h.). In the second experiment, grain was stored for 9 weeks at 20 or 25°C in either air (aerobic) or N₂ (anaerobic), and maintained at 100% r.h. In the third experiment, high-moisture grain was stored for 3 weeks at 20 or 25°C and maintained at 100% r.h. Grain was sampled at weekly intervals and plated to determine changes in fungal frequency. Fungi isolated included Fusarium chlamydosporum (19% of grain), Curvularia spp. (14%), F. semitectum (16%), Alternaria spp. (9%), Aspergillus flavus (8%), “Helminthosporium”-type spp. (6%), and F. moniliforme sensu lato (3%). Year of grain production significantly affected isolation frequency of fungi. Isolation frequencies from low-moisture grain were rarely affected by temperature, relative humidity, or atmosphere treatments, but was affected by storage duration for some fungi. Changes in isolation of toxigenic fungi occurred in high-moisture grain. Isolation frequency of F. chlamydosporum increased in grain stored at 86% and 91% r.h. Incidence of A. flavus increased in high-moisture grain treatments, particularly at 25°C. Incidence of deoxynivalenol was not affected by storage treatment. Low concentrations of nivalenol were detected in most grain incubated at 100% r.h. Zearalenone was detected only when grain moisture content was 20–22%. Aflatoxin contamination averaged 174 ng g⁻¹ over all treatments, and increased up to 798 ng g⁻¹ in high-moisture grain at stored at 25°C.     

Development of a generic PCR detection of deoxynivalenol- and nivalenol-chemotypes of Fusarium graminearum

Based on the intergenic sequences of Tri5-Tri6 genes involved in the mycotoxin pathways of Fusarium species, a generic PCR assay was developed to detect a 300 bp fragment of deoxynivalenol (DON)-chemotypes and a 360 bp sequence of nivalenol (NIV)- chemotypes of Fusarium graminearum. Mycotoxin chemotypes identified by the PCR assays were confirmed by the chemical analyses of HPLC or GC/MS. Further analysis of 364 F. graminearum isolates from 12 provinces of China showed that 310 were DON-chemotypes and 54 were NIV-chemotypes. Sequence analyses revealed that DON-chemotypes display more variations than NIV-chemotypes. This PCR assay could be used to detect mycotoxin-producing Fusarium-species and may thus help to develop strategies to avoid or reduce mycotoxin contamination of cereals. Also this assay may provide useful alternatives to antibody-based mycotoxin tests.     

Mycotoxins and fungi in wheat harvested during 1990 in test plots in the state of São Paulo,Brazil

Wheat from two cultivars with contrasting characteristics were harvested in ten experimental plots located in wheat producing areas of the State of São Paulo, Brazil. The samples (10 of each cultivar) were analyzed by a gaschromatographic method for deoxynivalenol (DON), nivalenol (NIV), diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS), toxins T-2 (T-2) and HT-2, T-2 tetraol, T-2 triol, and by a thin-layer chromatographic method for zearalenone (ZEN), aflatoxins B₁, B₂, G₁, G₂, ochratoxin A and sterigmatocystin. No mycotoxins were detected in 13 samples. DON was found in four samples (0.47–0.59 µg/g), NIV in three samples (0.16–0.40 µg/g), T-2 in two samples (0.40, 0.80 µg/g), DAS in one sample (0.60 µg/g), and ZEN in three samples (0.04–0.21 µg/g). The wheat samples were also examined for the incidence of fungi.Alternaria, Drechslera, Epicoccum andCladosporium were the prevailing genera. Among theFusarium spp.,F. semitectum was present in 19 samples andF. moniliforme in 18 samples. NoF. graminearum was isolated in the samples.Abbreviations DAS diacetoxyscirpenol - DON deoxynivalenol - NIV nivalenol - T-2 T-2 toxin - ZEN zearalenone     

A case report on a minor contamination of nivalenol in cereals harvested in Canada

An investigation for the occurrence of nivalenol (NIV), deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEN) in cereals (ten wheat, one rye and one corn) harvested in Canada have been carried out using a procedure, which is rapid and sensitive for Fusarium mycotoxins. NIV, DON and ZEN were detected in 4, 9 and 9 out of ten wheat samples, and their average levels in the positives were 23 ng/g, 1257 ng/g and 9 ng/g, respectively. One rye and one corn were also contaminated with a minor amount of NIV. This is the first evidence for the natural occurrence of NIV in cereals grown in Canada, though its level was far less than DON.     

雪腐镰刀菌烯醇产生菌株的筛选

本文对镰刀菌3个种的47个菌株用豌豆发芽抑制和鸽子呕吐试验筛选雪腐镰刀菌烯醇(Nivalenol)的产生菌株。化学分析的结果表明雪腐镰刀菌M-24和禾谷镰刀菌M-46能够产生雪腐镰刀菌烯醇。菌株M-24适宜的产毒温度为25-30℃;25℃条件下,M-24的产毒高峰出现在接种后的第三、四周,雪腐镰刀菌烯醇的含量分别达到447.9mg/kg和538.0mg/kg;五种培养基上产毒量也有所不同,在大麦和大米上产毒量最高(毒素含量分别为819.7mg/kg和780.5mg/kg),玉米和小麦上次之(521.9mg/kg,402.4mg/kg),绿豆上产毒量最低(167.6mg/kg)。菌株M-46在上述条件下产毒量均低于5mg/kg。     

Determination of the trichothecene mycotoxin chemotypes and associated geographical distribution and phylogenetic species of the Fusarium graminearum clade from China

A large number of isolates from the Fusarium graminearum clade representing all regions in China with a known history of Fusarium head blight (FHB) epidemics in wheat were assayed using PCR to ascertain their trichothecene mycotoxin chemotypes and associated phylogenetic species and geographical distribution. Of the 299 isolates assayed, 231 are from F. asiaticum species lineage 6, which produce deoxynivalenol and 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol (3-AcDON); deoxynivalenol and 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol (15-AcDON); and nivalenol and 4-acetylnivalenol (NIV) mycotoxins, with 3-AcDON being the predominant chemotype. Ninety-five percent of this species originated from the warmer regions where the annual average temperatures were above 15 °C, based on the climate data of 30 y during 1970–1999. However, 68 isolates within F. graminearum species lineage 7 consisted only of 15-AcDON producers, 59 % of which were from the cooler regions where the annual average temperatures were 15 °C or lower. Identification of a new subpopulation of 15-AcDON producers revealed a molecular distinction between F. graminearum and F. asiaticum that produce 15-AcDON. An 11-bp repeat is present in F. graminearum within their Tri7 gene sequences but is absent in F. asiaticum, which could be directly used for differentiating the two phylogenetic species of the F. graminearum clade.