title: Screening Fusarium strains isolated from overwintered Canadian grains for trichothecenes.
abstract: A survey of 38 samples of Canadian overwintered grains showed that 14 (37%) contained viable Fusarium. Of a total of 38 Fusarium isolates, cultured on autoclaved corn, 20 (from 7 grain samples) showed toxicity to brine shrimp larvae and 12 (from 5 samples) produced levels of trichothecenes detectable by thin layer chromatography. The principal trichothecene found was T-2 toxin, produced by 10 strains and accompanied in half of these by neosolaniol; some of these strains were identified as F. sporotrichioides Sherbakoff. Two strains of F. poae (Peck) Wollenw. formed small amounts of diacetoxyscirpenol. T-2 toxin was the most toxic of 8 trichothecenes tested on brine shrimp larvae; the wide range of toxicities limits the usefulness of this bioassay as a general screening method for trichothecenes.
mesh_terms: D002170:Canada; D002523:Edible Grain / Q000382:microbiology*; D005670:Fusarium / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D013605:T-2 Toxin / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D014255:Trichothecenes / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D012717:Sesquiterpenes; D014255:Trichothecenes; D013605:T-2 Toxin