• Food Industry
• /
• s.216
• /
• pp.73-77
• /
• 2010

• Research in Plant Disease
• /
• v.18 no.4
• /
• pp.310-316
• /
• 2012

Gibberellea fujikuroi species (Gf) complex comprises at least 15 species, most of which not only causes serious plant diseases, but also produces mycotoxins including fumonisins. Here, we focused on the abilities of the field isolates belonging to the Gf complex associated with rice and corn, respectively in Korea to produce fumonisin, all of which were confirmed to carry FUM1, the polyketide synthase gene essential for fumonisin biosynthesis. A total of 88 Gf complex isolates (55 F. fujikuroi, 10 F. verticillioides, 20 F. proliferatum, 2 F. subglutinans, and 1 F. concentricum), and 4 isolates of F. commune, which is a non-member of Gf complex, were grown on rice substrate and determined for their production levels of fumonisins by a HPLC method. Most isolates of F. verticillioides and F. proliferatum, regardless of host origins, produced fumonisin $B_1$ and $B_2$ at diverse ranges of levels ($0.5-2,686.4{\mu}g/g$, and $0.7-1,497.6{\mu}g/g$, respectively). In contrast, all the isolates of F. fujikuroi and other Fusarium species examined produced no fumonisins or only trace amounts ($<10{\mu}g/g$) of fumonisins. Interestingly, the frequencies of relatively high fumonisin-producers among the F. proliferatum and F. fujikuroi isolates derived from corn were higher than those among the fungal isolates from rice. In addition, it is a first report demonstrating the ability of the FUM1-carrying F. commune isolates from rice to produce fumonisins.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
• /
• v.15 no.5
• /
• pp.251-258
• /
• 1999

• The Plant Pathology Journal
• /
• v.31 no.4
• /
• pp.334-342
• /
• 2015

Two fumonisin-nonproducing strains of Fusarium verticillioides and their fumonisin producing progenitors were tested for aggressiveness toward maize, sorghum, rice, and beetroot seedlings grown under greenhouse conditions. None of the plants showed obvious disease symptoms after root dip inoculation. Fungal biomass was determined by species-specific real-time PCR. No significant (P = 0.05) differences in systemic colonization were detected between the wild type strains and mutants not producing fumonisins. F. verticillioides was not detected in any of the non-inoculated control plants. The fungus grew from roots to the first two internodes/leaves of maize, rice and beet regardless of fumonisin production. The systemic growth of F. verticillioides in sorghum was limited. The results showed that fumonisin production was not required for the infection of roots of maize, rice and beet by F. verticillioides.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
• /
• v.28 no.5
• /
• pp.953-958
• /
• 1996

A simple and rapid ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) system for fumonisins, a group of potentent carcinogen, was developed. To produce anti-fumonisin B1 (FB1) antibodies, FB1 conjugated to keyhole lympet hemocyanin (KLH) and Freund's adjuvant were immunized into rabbits subcutaneously 3 times. From one of the antisera showing high titer and good competition with the toxin in ELISA, polyclonal antibodies were purified. The cross-reactivities of the antibodies against fumonisin $B_1,\;B_2\;and\;B_3$ were 100%, 69%, and 166%, respectively. When competitive direct ELISA established by use of the antibody was applied to the spike test of $FB_1$ onto uncontaminated corns, the assay recovery was unstable unless 75% methanol extracts of corn were diluted to 1/100 with buffer. In that condition the mean ELISA recovery of FB1 from corns spiked $1-30\;{\mu}g/g$ was 67% and stable (coefficient of variation (CV) of each recovery percentage, 3.4%). The results suggest that the ELISA system established in this study needs no cleanup procedure and therefore would be powerful to screen a large number of corn samples contaminated with fumonisins.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.15 no.4
• /
• pp.610-614
• /
• 2002

The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of fumonisin contamination in corn and corn-based feeds in Taiwan. A total of 233 samples was collected from 8 feed mill factories located in four different regions in Taiwan. The presence of fumonisin $B_1$ ($FB_1$) and $B_2$ ($FB_2$) was determined by thin layer chromatograph, while the total fumonisin content was determined using immuno-affinity column cleanup and fluorometer quantitation. Our results showed that 55 samples of swine feeds had the highest percentage of incidence of $FB_1$ and $FB_2$ (41.8% and 41.8%, respectively), followed by 66 samples of duck feeds (40.9% and 37.8%). However, the percentage of incidence of $FB_1$ and $FB_2$ was much lower in 43 samples of broiler feeds (23.2% and 13.9%) and 69 samples of corn (17.3% and 10.1%). Corn and duck feeds were found to have a significant higher level of means of total fumonisins ($5.4{\pm}1.5$ and $5.8{\pm}0.6$ ppm, respectively) than swine feeds ($2.9{\pm}0.4$ ppm) and broiler feeds ($3.0{\pm}0.5$ ppm). Comparing fumonisins distribution in different regions, the highest percentage of $FB_1$ incidence (39.2%) was found in the eastern region of Taiwan, and total fumonisins level ($4.5{\pm}0.7$ ppm) was significantly higher than other regions. However, the highest percentage of $FB_2$ incidence (32.0%) was found in the central region of Taiwan. Trimonthly analysis of data showed that both high percentage of $FB_1$ and $FB_2$ incidence (39.3% and 37.7%) and total concentration of fumonisin ($5.7{\pm}0.4$ ppm) were found in the period of Jan. to Mar., The incidence and concentration were significantly higher than other trimothly periods. These results indicate that fumonisin B mycotoxins are both widespread and persistent in feed-grade corn and corn-based feeds in Taiwan.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
• /
• v.22 no.3
• /
• pp.203-210
• /
• 2006

Fumonisins are a group of mycotoxins produced by a pathogen Fusarium verticillioides in infected maize kernels. Consumption of fumonisin-contaminated maize has been implicated in a number of animal and human illnesses, including esophageal cancer and neural tube defects. Since the initial discovery, chemistry, toxicology, and biology of fumonisins as well as the maize-Fusarium pathosystem have been extensively studied. Furthermore, in the past decade, significant progress has been made in terms of understanding the molecular biology of toxin biosynthetic genes. However, there is a critical gap in our understanding of the regulatory mechanisms involved in fumonisin biosynthesis. Here, we review and discuss our current knowledge about the molecular mechanisms by which fumonisin biosynthesis is regulated in F. verticillioides. In addition, we discuss the impact of maize kernel environment, particularly sugar and lipid molecules, on fumonisin biosynthesis.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.23-32
• /
• 1993

Species of the genus Fusarium are worldwide in their distribution. They are saprophytes as soil inhabitants and parasites of cultivated plants. Some isolates of certain species car capable of producing mycotoxins. Mycotoxicoses, including moldy corn toxicosis, alimentary toxic aleukia, fusariotoxicosis, and rel mold disease are known to be associated with trichothecene-producing fungi. Historically severe epidemic of cereal scab occred in the southern part of Korea in 1963. The epidemic caused a social problem because of not only heavy economic losses but also mycotoxicoses to humans and farm animals. However the toxic principles were remained unknown until some publications in 1980's indicated that trichothecenes and zearalenone were major mycotoxins in Korea cereals contaminated with Fusarium moniliforme have been found to be associated with human and animal disease such as leukoencephalomalacia in horses, pulmonary edema in swine and esophageal cancer in humans. High concentrations of fumonisins have been detected in corn samples from high espohoageal cancer risk areas of South Africa and China. Thus fumonisins have been implicated in the etiolgy of human esophageal cancer in those high incidence countries. Recently increase of imported cereals from foreign countries demands to assess the safety of mycotoxins in Korea. The informations on the natural occurrence of mycotoxins are needed to solve the toxicological problems in humans and farm animals associated with the consumption of moldy cereals.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.119-125
• /
• 1996

In order to develop enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for fumonisins, production of specific antibodies, establishment of ELISA conditions, and quantitation of the toxin from spiked corns by ELISA were performed. Fumonisin $B_1(FB_1)$ conjugated to cholera toxin (CT) with or without Freund's adjuvant was subcutaneously injected into 2 groups of rabbits. When the titer of the antisera produced by each rabbit was tested, higher titer was observed in case of the immunization with the adjuvant. By use of the antiserum showing the highest titer (1:16,000) and its purified antibodies, competitive indirect and direct ELISA's (ciELISA and cdELISA) were established, respectively. When the cross-reactivity of the antibody against fumonisin analogs was investigated by the ciELISA, it was very low against $B_3$ (2%) but high against fumonisin $B_2$ (179%). The sensitivity of the ELISAs was also very high, because the detection limit for $FB_1$ was 0.03 ppb in ciELISA and 0.3 ppb in cdELISA. When the ELISA's were applied to the spiked corns after extraction with 75% methanol, the assay recovery of $FB_1$ was too unstable to assay. However, when cleanup by strong anion exchange (SAX) cartridge was introduced to remove interfering materials, the mean ELISA recovery of $FB_1$ from corns spiked to 3~10 ppm was found to be 34.0% and stable (mean of CV, 8.2%).

• The Plant Pathology Journal
• /
• v.31 no.3
• /
• pp.203-211
• /
• 2015

Maize is the dominant cereal crop produced in the US. One of the main fungal pathogens of maize is Fusarium verticillioides, the causative agent of ear and stalk rots. Significantly, the fungus produces a group of mycotoxins - fumonisins - on infested kernels, which have been linked to various illnesses in humans and animals. Nonetheless, durable resistance against F. verticillioides in maize is not currently available. In Texas, over 2.1 million acres of maize are vulnerable to fumonisin contamination, but understanding of the distribution of toxigenic F. verticillioides in maize-producing areas is currently lacking. Our goal was to investigate the genetic variability of F. verticillioides in Texas with an emphasis on fumonisin trait and geographical distribution. A total of 164 F. verticillioides cultures were isolated from 65 maize-producing counties. DNA from each isolate was extracted and analyzed by PCR for the presence of FUM1- a key fumonisin biosynthesis gene - and mating type genes. Results showed that all isolates are in fact F. verticillioides capable of producing fumonisins with a 1:1 mating-type gene ratio in the population. To further study the genetic diversity of the population, isolates were analyzed using RAPD fingerprinting. Polymorphic markers were identified and the analysis showed no clear correlation between the RAPD profile of the isolates and their corresponding geographical origin. Our data suggest the toxigenic F. verticillioides population in Texas is widely distributed wherever maize is grown. We also hypothesize that the population is fluid, with active movement and genetic recombination occurring in the field.