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Submitted to: American Chemical Society Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: 6/21/1996 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: Gliotoxin is a toxic metabolite produced by species of several genera of fungi, most notably by Aspergillus fumigatus, the major causative agent of avian aspergillosis. This mycotoxin has demonstrated activities against bacteria and fungi, is quite cytotoxic and is a potent immunosuppressive compound. It has been shown to be produced by A. fumigatus in the pathogenic state of a mycosis involving the bovine udder and after inoculation of this organism into the peritoneal cavity of mice. More recently, gliotoxin was the major suspect mycotoxin involved in an intoxication of camels consuming moldy hay. We have shown that this compound was produced by most of the isolates of A. fumigatus involved in an outbreak of aspergillosis among turkeys, was very cytotoxic to turkey peripheral lymphocytes and was produced in turkeys with aspergillosis by experimentally inoculating them with a gliotoxin-producing isolate of the organism. We have also found gliotoxin in turkey lung and air-sac tissue naturally infected with A. fumigatus and taken from the turkeys at the time of slaughter. The nature of the involvement of this compound in aspergillosis is not known, but, because of its properties, it has the potential to be involved in the pathogenesis of the disease. |
