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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 #241324
Title: Variation in the Trichothecene Mycotoxin Biosynthetic Gene Cluster in Fusarium

Author
item Proctor, Robert
item McCormick, Susan
item Alexander, Nancy

Submitted to: American Chemical Society National Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/20/2009
Publication Date: 8/20/2009
Citation: Proctor, R., Mccormick, S.P., Alexander, N.J. 2009. Variation in the Trichothecene Mycotoxin Biosynthetic Gene Cluster in Fusarium [abstract]. American Chemical Society.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Trichothecene mycotoxins are produced by some plant pathogenic species of the fungus Fusarium and can contribute to its virulence on some plants. In Fusarium graminearum and F. sporotrichioides trichothecene biosynthetic enzymes are encoded at three loci: the single-gene TRI101 locus; the two-gene TRI1/TRI16 locus; and the 12-gene, core TRI cluster. Here, DNA sequence analysis revealed that TRI1 and TRI101, but not TRI16, are located in the core cluster in a third species, F. equiseti. By examining variation in TRI1, TRI16, TRI101, core TRI cluster genes, and primary metabolic genes, we obtained evidence that TRI1 and TRI101 originated outside the core cluster and moved into it during the evolution of F. equiseti and closely related species. We also identified four types of TRI1 orthologues and obtained evidence that three of the orthologue types catalyze trichothecene C7 and C8 hydroxylation and that the fourth catalyzes C8 hydroxylation only.