Development of New Markers for the Identification of Mycotoxin-Producing Fusarium Species - FUTOX
Coordinating Institution:
CRP Gabriel Lippmann
Contracting Partner(s):
Administration des Services Techniques de l'Agriculture (ASTA) ,
Centre Wallon de Recherches Agronomiques (B)
Other Partner(s):
University of Louvain (B) ,
University of Liège ,
University of Minnesota (Cereal Disease Laboratory)
From: 01/01/2008
To: 30/06/2010
Budget: 285,000.00€
Contact(s):
Hoffmann Lucien
Summary
FHB (Fusarium Head Blight) has received significant attention in recent years because Fusarium contaminates the grains with mycotoxins and therefore the entire cereal food and feed chain. This disease, caused by Fusarium toxigenic species, produces a number of trichothecene mycotoxins, such as deoxynivalenol (DON) and nivalenol (NIV). These compounds are toxic to plants and animals. There is now considerable pressure to recommend that the intake of some of these compounds must be limited by setting control levels.
Knowledge about the fungi producing these toxins can guide the development of preventive tools able to anticipate the spread of toxins in the food chain. Seventeen fields were sampled during the years 2007 and 2008. A total of 1084 Fusarium isolates were obtained and analysed by using both morphological and molecular tools. Fusarium graminearum was the most common species associated with these grains. In order to anticipate the presence of certain toxins in the field, F. graminearum and F. culmorum species were analysed for their chemotype by using molecular biology tools.
The 15-acetylated DON chemotype of F. graminearum was dominant in both years representing 94.2% of the population, while the NIV chemotype, identified for the first time in Luxembourg, represented 5.8%. The F. culmorum chemotypes were rather evenly distributed, with 3-acetylated DON and NIV profiles present with similar abundances (53.2% and 46.8%, respectively). Nivalenol presence in wheat flour from the 17 sites was analysed and interestingly correlated with the number of F. culmorum (NIV chemotype) isolated from 100 seeds, suggesting the primary role of this population in causing nivalenol accumulation in grains. Our results show for the first time the predictive power of molecular chemotyping of Fusarium species for identifying toxin contamination in grains.
The results open ways to novel preventive approaches based on the use of molecular biology tools. In order to develop markers useful for the quick discrimination of species and chemotypes, a protocol for the extraction of proteins to be used in proteomic experiments from Fusarium has been developed and will be used to determine whether differences between chemotypes can be identified at the proteomic level.
Refereed Scientific Publications:
- Giraud F., Vrancken C., Delfosse P., Bohn T., Hoffmann L., Munaut F., El Jarroudi M. (2008). First report of Fusarium head blight on winter wheat in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Plant Disease 92, 1587.
- Giraud F., Vrancken C., El Jarroudi M., Delfosse P., Bohn T., Gutleb A.C., Hoffmann L. (2008). 2007 : A special year for Fusarium head blight and associated mycotoxins in Luxembourg. Toxicology Letters 180, S32–S246.
- Pasquali M., Giraud F., Brochot C., Cocco E., Hoffmann L., Bohn T. (2010). Genetic Fusarium chemotyping as a useful tool for predicting nivalenol contamination in winter wheat. International Journal of Food Microbiology 137, 246-253.
- Pasquali M., Giraud F., Brochot C., Hoffmann L., Bohn T. (2009). First report of the nivalenol chemotype of Fusarium graminearum causing head blight of wheat in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Plant Disease 93, 1217.
- Seong K.Y., Pasquali M., Zhou X., Song J., Hilburn K., McCormick S., Dong Y., Xu J.R., Kistler H.C. (2009). Global gene regulation by Fusarium transcription factors Tri6 and Tri10 reveals adaptations for toxin biosynthesis. Molecular Microbiology 72, 354-367.
Other Publications:
- Giraud F., El Jarroudi M., Delfosse P. (2009) Premier bilan des maladies cryptogamiques sur blé d’hiver pour l’année 2008 et premiers enseignements. De Letzeburger Bauer du 08/08/2008, p. 5-6.
- Giraud F. (2009) La fusariose, un risque réel pour 2008, un risque avéré pour 2007: situations et préconisations. De Letzeburger Bauer du 13/06/2008, p. 10-11.
- Giraud F., Pasquali M., Vrancken C., Cocco, E., Munaut F., El Jarroudi M., Bohn T., Hoffmann L., Delfosse P. (2009). Fusariose sur blé d’hiver au Grand-Duché de Luxembourg. Phytoma 622, 29-32.
- Pasquali M., Cocco E., Hoffmann L., Bohn T., Giraud F. 2009. Fusariose du blé d’hiver et prévention des mycotoxines. Un outil expérimenté au Grand-Duché. Phytoma 629, 17-20.