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ARS Home » Southeast Area » New Orleans, Louisiana » Southern Regional Research Center » Food and Feed Safety Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #370884
Research Project: Genetic and Environmental Factors Controlling Aflatoxin Biosynthesis

Location: Food and Feed Safety Research

Title: Chemical repertoire and biosynthetic machinery of the Aspergillus flavus secondary metabolome: A review

Author
item UKA, VALDET - Ghent University
item Cary, Jeffrey
item Lebar, Matthew
item PUEL, OLIVIER - University Of Toulouse
item DE SAEGER, SARAH - Ghent University
item DIANA DI MAVUNGU, JOSE - Ghent University

Submitted to: Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/24/2020
Publication Date: 11/1/2020
Citation: Uka, V., Cary, J.W., Lebar, M.D., Puel, O., De Saeger, S., Diana Di Mavungu, J. 2020. Chemical repertoire and biosynthetic machinery of the Aspergillus flavus secondary metabolome: A review. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety. 19(6):2797-2842. https://doi.org/10.1111/1541-4337.12638.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1541-4337.12638

Interpretive Summary: Aspergillus flavus is a fungus best known as a contaminant of different food and feed commodities and a producer of the toxic and carcinogenic family of compounds termed, aflatoxins. In addition to aflatoxins, this fungus produces and secretes many other metabolites with varying chemical composition and toxicities during growth on crops such as peanuts and corn. This review will discuss the recent advances in the genes and enzymes responsible for the production of these chemically diverse metabolites from Aspergillus flavus, as well as their significance with regard to food safety and security.

Technical Abstract: Filamentous fungi represent a rich pool of extrolites and secondary metabolites (SMs) with a great variety of astonishing structures and interesting bioactivities. State-of-the-art techniques in genome mining, genetic manipulation and secondary metabolomics have enabled the scientific community to better elucidate and more deeply appreciate the genetic and biosynthetic arsenal of these microorganisms. Aspergillus flavus is best known as a contaminant of different food and feed commodities and a producer of the carcinogenic family of secondary metabolites, aflatoxins. This fungus produces many other SMs including polyketides, ribosomal and non-ribosomal peptides, terpenoids and other hybrid molecules. This review will discuss the recent advances in gene cluster identification, biosynthetic pathways and chemical diversity of Aspergillus flavus SMs, as well as their significance with regard to food safety.