Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #68380
Title: IDENTIFICATION OF A NEW SERIES OF FUMONISINS CONTAINING 3-HYDROXYPYRIDINE

Author
item MUSSER, STEVEN - FDA, WASHINGTON, DC
item GAY, MARTHA - FDA, WASHINGTON, DC
item MAZZOLA, EUGENE - FDA, WASHINGTON, DC
item Plattner, Ronald

Submitted to: Journal of Natural Products
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/1/1996
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Fumonisins are a class of toxin compounds produced by a fungus called Fusarium moniliforme that is frequently found on corn. Fumonisin B1, the most abundant member of this family, is of interest because it is toxic to farm animals who have consumed it in corn contaminated with the fungus and because it is a suspected carcinogen. This work presents a new series of fumonisins that have different chemical structures than previously known fumonisins. This new series of compounds may have increased toxicity because other compounds with similar structures are known to be quite toxic. These observations may help explain why the toxicity of Fusarium-contaminated corn is frequently higher than can be explained by the concentrations of the previously known fumonisins alone.

Technical Abstract: A new series of fumonisins were isolated from a culture of Fusarium moniliforme (M-2285) grown on solid corn. The new compounds contain a 3-hydroxypyridinium moiety at the C-2 position of the eicosane backbone instead of the amine found in the B series of fumonisins. The new fumnisins were characterized by UV, LC-MS/MS, 1H and 13C NMR. LC/MS analysis of the culture extract indicates that the new fumonisins occur at approximately one third the amount of their amine containing analogs (FB1, FB2, and FB3).