title: Gliotoxin--bane or boon?
abstract: Gliotoxin (GT) is the most important epidithiodioxopiperazine (ETP)-type fungal toxin. GT was originally isolated from Trichoderma species as an antibiotic substance involved in biological control of plant pathogenic fungi. A few isolates of GT-producing Trichoderma virens are commercially marketed for biological control and widely used in agriculture. Furthermore, GT is long known as an immunosuppressive agent and also reported to have anti-tumour properties. However, recent publications suggest that GT is a virulence determinant of the human pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus. This compound is thus important on several counts - it has medicinal properties, is a pathogenicity determinant, is a potential diagnostic marker and is important in biological crop protection. The present article addresses this paradox and the ecological role of GT. We discuss the function of GT as defence molecule, the role in aspergillosis and suggest solutions for safe application of Trichoderma-based biofungicides.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz-Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knoell Institute (HKI) and Institute for Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Beutenbergstr. 11a, 07745, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Daniel H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Scharf
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz-Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knoell Institute (HKI) and Institute for Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Beutenbergstr. 11a, 07745, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Axel A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Brakhage
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Agriculture and Biotechnology Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai, 400085, India.
authors.forename: Prasun K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Mukherjee
mesh_terms: D001228:Aspergillosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D001232:Aspergillus fumigatus / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D061046:Biological Control Agents / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015415:Biomarkers; D005912:Gliotoxin / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D014242:Trichoderma / Q000378:metabolism; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D061046:Biological Control Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D037521:Virulence Factors; D005912:Gliotoxin