title: Conversion of fusaric acid to Fusarinol by Aspergillus tubingensis: a detoxification reaction.
abstract: The fungus Fusarium oxysporum causes wilt diseases of plants and produces a potent phytotoxin fusaric acid (FA), which is also toxic to many microorganisms. An Aspergillus tubingensis strain with high tolerance to FA was isolated from soil and designated as CDRAt01. HPLC analysis of culture filtrates from A. tubingensis isolate CDRAt01 grown with the addition of FA indicated the formation of a metabolite over time that was associated with a decrease of FA. Spectral analysis and chemical synthesis confirmed the compound as 5-butyl-2-pyridinemethanol, referred to here as fusarinol. The phytotoxicity of fusarinol compared to FA was measured by comparing necrosis induced in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L. cv. Coker 312) cotyledons. Fusarinol was significantly less phytotoxic than FA. Therefore, the A. tubingensis strain provides a novel detoxification mechanism against FA which may be utilized to control Fusarium wilt.
authors.affiliation: USDA-ARS, Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center, 2765 F&B Road, College Station, TX, 77845, USA.
authors.forename: Frankie K
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: Crutcher
authors.forename: Jinggao
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Lorraine S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Puckhaber
authors.forename: Robert D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Stipanovic
authors.forename: Sara E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Duke
authors.forename: Alois A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.forename: Howard J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Nichols
mesh_terms: D001230:Aspergillus / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D001681:Biological Assay; D001711:Biotransformation; D018548:Cotyledon / Q000187:drug effects; D005669:Fusaric Acid / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000633:toxicity; D005670:Fusarium / Q000378:metabolism; D008658:Inactivation, Metabolic; D007700:Kinetics; D011725:Pyridines / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D011725:Pyridines; D005669:Fusaric Acid