Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Athens, Georgia » U.S. National Poultry Research Center » Toxicology & Mycotoxin Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #322141
Title: A Fusarium fujikuroi population isolated from grapes reveals the need to re-evaluate the species' fumonisin production potential

Author
item BOLTON, STEPHANIE - University Of Georgia
item BRANNEN, PHILLIP - University Of Georgia
item Glenn, Anthony - Tony

Submitted to: American Phytopathological Society Annual Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/8/2015
Publication Date: 8/1/2015
Citation: Bolton, S.L., Brannen, P.M., Glenn, A.E. 2015. A Fusarium fujikuroi population isolated from grapes reveals the need to re-evaluate the species' fumonisin production potential. American Phytopathological Society Annual Meeting. August 1-6, 2015 Pasadena, CA

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Mycotoxins pose a documented threat to crops worldwide, making plant pathology and food science collaboration necessary for the safety and growth of our food supply. The genus Fusarium produces several mycotoxins, including fumonisins, associated with serious diseases of animals. F. verticillioides and F. proliferatum are recognized as the main fumonisin producers in economically significant crops. To date, most F. fujikuroi strains tested in-vitro produce undetectable/low amounts of fumonisins. In 2013, a large population of Fusarium spp. was recovered from southeastern U.S. winegrapes, representing eight vineyards and ten grape varieties. This population includes 239 isolates of F. fujikuroi and 52 isolates of F. proliferatum, as identified by comparison of the translation elongation factor 1-alpha gene sequence to verified strains in public databases. A phylogenetic analysis revealed some genetic diversity within populations of both species. An in-vitro mycotoxin assay quantified fumonisin B1-B3 production for representative isolates using HPLC-MS/MS, and in contrast to most published accounts, the majority of these F. fujikuroi isolates produced high levels of fumonisins comparable to F. verticillioides and F. proliferatum. Published strains of all three species were included in the assay for comparison. This research shows that F. fujikuroi needs to be reconsidered as a frequent high producer of fumonisins with increased relevance to food safety in the U.S.