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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #73838
Title: TRICHOTHECENES ACCUMULATED IN LIQUID CULTURES OF A FUSARIUM SPOROTRICHIOIDES MUTANT LACKING A FUNCTIONAL TRICHOTHECENE C-15 HYDROXYLASE

Author
item McCormick, Susan
item Hohn, Thomas

Submitted to: Applied and Environmental Microbiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/29/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: The mold Fusarium is a common contaminant of grain and other livestock feeds. Several species of Fusarium produce trichothecene toxins such as T-2 toxin and vomitoxin which are known to cause adverse effects on human and animal health. We characterized three new trichothecenes produced by a mutant strain of Fusarium sporotrichioides that was altered so that it can no longer produce T-2 toxin. These compounds will be useful in developing and evaluating kits for detecting contamination of food and feed products.

Technical Abstract: A mutant strain of Fusarium sporotrichioides NRRL 3299, produced by disruption of Tri11, a gene encoding a P450 monooxygenase, was shown to be altered in its ability to biosynthesize T-2 toxin. This mutant strain accumulated three trichothecenes that were not observed in liquid cultures of the parent strain. The compounds were identified as isotrichodermin, 8-hydroxyisotrichodermin and 8- hydroxyisotrichodermol on the basis of their nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectra. This is the first report of these compounds as metabolites of F. sporotrichioides. The accumulation of isotrichodermin and the results of whole-cell feeding experiments with a Tri11- strain confirm that oxygenation of C-15 is blocked.