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Review
. 2009 Jan;10(1):147-173.
doi: 10.3390/ijms10010147. Epub 2009 Jan 6.

Trichothecenes in cereal grains

Nora A Foroud  1   2 , François Eudes  1
Affiliations
Review

Trichothecenes in cereal grains

Nora A Foroud et al. Int J Mol Sci. 2009 Jan.

Abstract

Trichothecenes are sesquiterpenoid mycotoxins associated with fusarium head blight (FHB) of cereals, with worldwide economic and health impacts. While various management strategies have been proposed to reduce the mycotoxin risk, breeding towards FHB-resistance appears to be the most effective means to manage the disease, and reduce trichothecene contamination of cereal-based food products. This review provides a brief summary of the trichothecene synthesis in Fusarium species, their toxicity in plants and humans, followed by the current methods of screening and breeding for resistance to FHB and trichothecene accumulation.

Keywords: Trichothecene; cereal grain; fusarium head blight.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Type A and B trichothecene structures. Examples of type A trichothecenes include T-2 toxin (T-2), HT-2 toxin (HT-2), 4,15-diacetoxyscirpenol (4,15-DAS). Examples of type B trichothecenes include nivalenol (NIV), 4-deoxynivalenol (DON), 3-O-acetyl DON (3-ADON), and 15-O-acetyl DON (15-ADON). OAc = acetyl function; OIsoval = isovalerate function.
Scheme 1.
Scheme 1.
Trichothecene biosynthesis pathways. Steps in the pathway are catalyzed by Tri-gene products (see Table 1 for more details), and have been identified in either F. graminearum (Fg), F. sporotrichioides (Fs), or both. OAc = acetyl function; IsovalO = isovalerate function. Diagram is modified from [33, 50, 169, and 172].
Scheme 1.
Scheme 1.
Trichothecene biosynthesis pathways. Steps in the pathway are catalyzed by Tri-gene products (see Table 1 for more details), and have been identified in either F. graminearum (Fg), F. sporotrichioides (Fs), or both. OAc = acetyl function; IsovalO = isovalerate function. Diagram is modified from [33, 50, 169, and 172].
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