title: Toxicity and trichothecene production by Fusarium acuminatum subsp. acuminatum and Fusarium acuminatum subsp. armeniacum.
abstract: The toxicity of cultures of Fusarium acuminatum subsp. acuminatum and Fusarium acuminatum subsp. armeniacum grown on Weet-Bix medium was assessed using a chick bioassay. Thirty-nine of 45 cultures of F. a. armeniacum tested produced at least 50% mortality in the chick bioassay. In contrast, of the 26 cultures of F. a. acuminatum tested, only nine produced at least 50% mortality. Selected extracts of both subspecies were analyzed by gas chromatography after clean-up and hydrolysis for the four main trichothecene families, namely; nivalenol (NIV), deoxynivalenol (DON), scirpentriol (Sctol), and T-2 tetraol (T-2tol). Levels of up to 500 micrograms/g and 7 micrograms/g of T-2tol were detected in F. a. armeniacum and F. a. acuminatum extracts respectively. Four cultures each of F. a. armeniacum and F. a. acuminatum were also grown on two solid media (Weet-Bix and Vermiculite) and two liquid media (MYRO and GYEP). Culture extracts were again tested for toxicity and analyzed for trichothecene production. Cultures of F. a. armeniacum grown on the solid media and on MYRO produced the highest toxicity. Levels of up to 168, 129, 150, and 8 micrograms/g of T-2tol were detected in cultures of F. a. armeniacum on Weet-Bix, Vermiculite, MYRO, and GYEP respectively. In contrast, only trace amounts of T-2tol were detected in extracts of F. a. acuminatum on all media. Sctol levels of less than 0.5 microgram/g were also detected in some cultures of both subspecies on solid media, but only F. a. armeniacum produced trace levels of Sctol on liquid media.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Fusarium Research Laboratory, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wing
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Lauren
authors.forename: W L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Bryden
authors.forename: L W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Burgess
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens; D005670:Fusarium / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014255:Trichothecenes / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D014255:Trichothecenes