Production of fusaric acid by Fusarium species

Abstract

Fusaric acid is a mycotoxin with low to moderate toxicity, which is of concern since it might be synergistic with other cooccurring mycotoxins. Fusaric acid is widespread on corn and corn-based food and feeds and is frequently found in grain, where Fusarium spp. are also isolated. We surveyed 78 strains of Fusarium moniliforme, F. crookwellense, F. subglutinans, F. sambucinum, F. napiforme, F. heterosporum, F. oxysporum, F. solani, and F. proliferatum for their ability to produce fusaric acid. Strains in Fusarium section Liseola also were assigned to mating population of the Gibberella fujikuroi species complex. The fungi could be divided into three classes, low (<100 g/g), moderate (100 to 500 g/g), and high (>500 g/g), based on the amounts of this mycotoxin produced in culture on autoclaved corn. Strains of mating populations C from rice consistently produced moderate to high concentrations of fusaric acid. Two isolates, one each from mating populations C and D, produced fusaric acid in excess of 1,000 g/g of corn. No isolates of any of the Fusarium species examined were negative for the production of fusaric acid on autoclaved corn.

Morphological mutants of Gibberella fujikuroi for enhanced production of gibberellic acid

“…The mutant of G. fujikuroi studied in the present investigation (Mor-25) did not produce fusaric acid, which is another undesired and toxic metabolite of species of Fusarium. As detailed by Bacon et al (1996) all the 78 strains of Fusarium and Gibberella they examined, produced fusaric acid and the strains that belonged to mating type 'C' had consistently moderate to high concentration of fusaric acid in the culture medium. The toxicity of fusaric acid for animals, plants and human is well documented in literature and it was therefore essential that the strain of G. fujikuroi to be used for gibberellic acid production does not produce fusaric acid.…”

“…Fusaric acid is a common mycotoxin produced by species of Fusarium that can affect animal and plant health. Strains of Fusarium and Gibberella were found to produce 200-1000 mg fusaric acid per gram of corn (Bacon et al 1996). The strains of G. fujikuroi belonging to mating type 'C', that are prolific producers of gibberel-lins also, were found to produce fairly high quantities of this toxic metabolite.…”

Growth-inhibiting effects of concentrations of fusaric acid on the growth of Bacillus mojavensis and other biocontrol Bacillus species

“…The infection of hosts and biosynthesis of fusaric acid by isolates of Fusarium species in the absence of disease symptoms (Bacon and Hinton 1996a) suggest that toxic concentrations of fusaric acid are not produced in the Fusarium-infected plants, fusaric acid is not produced, or modern-day plant cultivars are resistant to the in planta concentrations that are produced. Because all isolates of F. verticillioides examined to date produce fusaric acid (Bacon et al 1996), and because most of these isolates maintain a symptomless endophytic biotrophic or hemibiotrophic association with maize, the in planta interaction of fusaric acid might be multifunctional and therefore complex. Further, the biosynthesis of fusaric acid by soil-borne nonpathogenic isolates of other Fusarium species suggests a role in the interaction with other soil-borne organisms.…”

Assessment of mycotoxins co‐occurrence in Italian dried figs and in dried figs‐based products

“…F. moniliforme produces not only fumonisins but also other secondary mycotoxins: FA and BEA (Bacon, Porter, Norred, & Leslie, 1996).…”

“…FA, 5-butilpicolinic acid, may increase the overall toxicity of other mycotoxins (Bacon et al, 1996). Thus, the major importance of FA to animal toxicity may be synergistic interactions with other naturally cooccurring mycotoxins as well as BEA (Bacon, Porter, & Norred, 1995).…”