Root Exudates of Stressed Plants Stimulate and Attract Trichoderma Soil Fungi.

Plant roots release complex mixtures of bioactive molecules, including compounds that affect the activity and modify the composition of the rhizosphere microbiome. In this work, we investigated the initial phase of the interaction between tomato and an effective biocontrol strain of Trichoderma harzianum (T22). We found that root exudates (RE), obtained from plants grown in a split-root system and exposed to various biotic and abiotic stress factors (wounding, salt, pathogen attack), were able to stimulate the growth and act as chemoattractants of the biocontrol fungus. On the other hand, some of the treatments did not result in an enhanced chemotropism on Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici, indicating a mechanism that may be selective for nonpathogenic microbes. The involvement of peroxidases and oxylipins, both known to be released by roots in response to stress, was demonstrated by using RE fractions containing these molecules or their commercial purified analogs, testing the effect of an inhibitor, and characterizing the complex pattern of these metabolites released by tomato roots both locally and systemically.

Advances, challenges and opportunities for point-of-need screening of mycotoxins in foods and feeds.

The assurance of food and feed safety, including the identification and effective monitoring of multiple biological and chemical hazards, is a major societal challenge, given the increasing pace at which food commodities are demanded, produced and traded across the globe. Within this context, mycotoxins are globally widespread secondary fungal metabolites, which can contaminate crops either in the field or during storage and have serious human and animal health impacts such as carcinogenic, teratogenic and hepatotoxic effects. Therefore, their presence in a wide range of foods and feeds is strictly regulated, particularly in the European Union. In order to perform effective and routine monitoring of mycotoxin levels in the field prior to further processing, during transport or during processing, rapid, simple, portable and sensitive means of screening of regulated mycotoxins are in high demand. This review focuses on (1) discussing the relevance of mycotoxins and the standard approaches for their sampling and monitoring; and (2) compiling and discussing recent advances in miniaturized analytical tools for mycotoxin detection. This provides insights into current research efforts and opportunities to develop a truly integrated and fit-for-purpose analytical tool, suitable for use at critical points of the food, feed and raw material processing and distribution chains.

Tramesan, a novel polysaccharide from Trametes versicolor. Structural characterization and biological effects.

Mushrooms represent a formidable source of bioactive compounds. Some of these may be considered as biological response modifiers; these include compounds with a specific biological function: antibiotics (e.g. plectasin), immune system stimulator (e,g, lentinan), antitumor agents (e.g. krestin, PSK) and hypolipidemic agents (e.g. lovastatin) inter alia. In this study, we focused on the Chinese medicinal mushroom "yun zhi", Trametes versicolor, traditionally used for (cit.) "replenish essence and qi (vital energy)". Previous studies indicated the potential activity of extracts from culture filtrate of asexual mycelia of T. versicolor in controlling the growth and secondary metabolism (e.g. mycotoxins) of plant pathogenic fungi. The quest of active principles produced by T. versicolor, allowed us characterising an exo-polysaccharide released in its culture filtrate and naming it Tramesan. Herein we evaluate the biological activity of Tramesan in different organisms: plants, mammals and plant pathogenic fungi. We suggest that the bioactivity of Tramesan relies mostly on its ability to act as pro antioxidant molecule regardless the biological system on which it was applied.

Careful with That Axe, Gene, Genome Perturbation after a PEG-Mediated Protoplast Transformation in Fusarium verticillioides.

Fusarium verticillioides causes ear rot disease in maize and its contamination with fumonisins, mycotoxins harmful for humans and livestock. Lipids, and their oxidized forms, may drive the fate of this disease. In a previous study, we have explored the role of oxylipins in this interaction by deleting by standard transformation procedures a linoleate diol synthase-coding gene, lds1, in F. verticillioides. A profound phenotypic diversity in the mutants generated has prompted us to investigate more deeply the whole genome of two lds1-deleted strains. Bioinformatics analyses pinpoint significant differences in the genome sequences emerged between the wild type and the lds1-mutants further than those trivially attributable to the deletion of the lds1 locus, such as single nucleotide polymorphisms, small deletion/insertion polymorphisms and structural variations. Results suggest that the effect of a (theoretically) punctual transformation event might have enhanced the natural mechanisms of genomic variability and that transformation practices, commonly used in the reverse genetics of fungi, may potentially be responsible for unexpected, stochastic and henceforth off-target rearrangements throughout the genome.

Climate, Soil Management, and Cultivar Affect Fusarium Head Blight Incidence and Deoxynivalenol Accumulation in Durum Wheat of Southern Italy.

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a multifaceted disease caused by some species of Fusarium spp. A huge production of mycotoxins, mostly trichothecenes, often accompanied this disease. Amongst these toxic compounds, deoxynivalenol (DON) and its derivatives represent a major issue for human as well as for animal health and farming. Common and durum wheat are amongst the hosts of trichothecene-producing Fusaria. Differences in susceptibility to fungal infection and toxin accumulation occur in wheat cultivars. Recently, increasing incidence and severity of Fusarium infection and a higher DON accumulation in durum wheat were observed in Italy, especially in Northern regions. In this study, we analyzed wheat yield, technological parameters, the incidence of Fusarium infection and DON content in kernel samples of durum wheat coming from three locations of Southern Italy with different climatic conditions and grown during two seasons, with two methods of cultivation. Four different durum wheat cultivars prevalently cultivated in Southern Italian areas were chosen for this study. Our analysis showed the effects of environment and cultivar types on wheat productivity and key technological parameters for the quality level of the end-product, namely pasta. Notably, although a low rate of mycotoxin contamination in all study sites was assessed, an inverse relation emerged between fungal infection/DON production and durum wheat yield. Further, our study pinpoints the importance of environment conditions on several quality traits of durum wheat grown under Mediterranean climate. The environmental conditions at local level (microscale) and soil management practices may drive FHB outbreak and mycotoxin contamination even in growing area suitable for cropping this wheat species.

Menadione-Induced Oxidative Stress Re-Shapes the Oxylipin Profile of Aspergillus flavus and Its Lifestyle.

Aspergillus flavus is an efficient producer of mycotoxins, particularly aflatoxin B1, probably the most hepatocarcinogenic naturally-occurring compound. Although the inducing agents of toxin synthesis are not unanimously identified, there is evidence that oxidative stress is one of the main actors in play. In our study, we use menadione, a quinone extensively implemented in studies on ROS response in animal cells, for causing stress to A. flavus. For uncovering the molecular determinants that drive A. flavus in challenging oxidative stress conditions, we have evaluated a wide spectrum of several different parameters, ranging from metabolic (ROS and oxylipin profile) to transcriptional analysis (RNA-seq). There emerges a scenario in which A. flavus activates several metabolic processes under oxidative stress conditions for limiting the ROS-associated detrimental effects, as well as for triggering adaptive and escape strategies.

Open Field Study of Some Zea mays Hybrids, Lipid Compounds and Fumonisins Accumulation.

Lipid molecules are increasingly recognized as signals exchanged by organisms interacting in pathogenic and/or symbiotic ways. Some classes of lipids actively determine the fate of the interactions. Host cuticle/cell wall/membrane components such as sphingolipids and oxylipins may contribute to determining the fate of host-pathogen interactions. In the present field study, we considered the relationship between specific sphingolipids and oxylipins of different hybrids of Zea mays and fumonisin by F. verticillioides, sampling ears at different growth stages from early dough to fully ripe. The amount of total and free fumonisin differed significantly between hybrids and increased significantly with maize ripening. Oxylipins and phytoceramides changed significantly within the hybrids and decreased with kernel maturation, starting from physiological maturity. Although the correlation between fumonisin accumulation and plant lipid profile is certain, the data collected so far cannot define a cause-effect relationship but open up new perspectives. Therefore, the question-"Does fumonisin alter plant lipidome or does plant lipidome modulate fumonisin accumulation?"-is still open.

Detection of ochratoxin A using molecular beacons and real-time PCR thermal cycler.

We developed a simple and cheap assay for quantitatively detecting ochratoxin A (OTA) in wine. A DNA aptamer available in literature was used as recognition probe in its molecular beacon form, i.e., with a fluorescence-quenching pair at the stem ends. Our aptabeacon could adopt a conformation allowing OTA binding, causing a fluorescence rise due to the increased distance between fluorophore and quencher. We used real-time PCR equipment for capturing the signal. With this assay, under optimized conditions, the entire process can be completed within 1 h. In addition, the proposed system exhibited a good selectivity for OTA against other mycotoxins (ochratoxin B and aflatoxin M1) and limited interference from aflatoxin B1 and patulin. A wide linear detection range (0.2-2000 µM) was achieved, with LOD = 13 nM, r = 0.9952, and R2 = 0.9904. The aptabeacon was also applied to detect OTA in red wine spiked with the same dilution series. A linear correlation with a LOD = 19 nM, r = 0.9843, and R2 = 0.9708 was observed, with recoveries in the range 63%-105%. Intra- and inter-day assays confirmed its reproducibility. The proposed biosensor, although still being finalized, might significantly facilitate the quantitative detection of OTA in wine samples, thus improving their quality control from a food safety perspective.

Aflatoxin control in maize by Trametes versicolor.

Aspergillus flavus is a well-known ubiquitous fungus able to contaminate both in pre- and postharvest period different feed and food commodities. During their growth, these fungi can synthesise aflatoxins, secondary metabolites highly hazardous for animal and human health. The requirement of products with low impact on the environment and on human health, able to control aflatoxin production, has increased. In this work the effect of the basidiomycete Trametes versicolor on the aflatoxin production by A. flavus both in vitro and in maize, was investigated. The goal was to propose an environmental loyal tool for a significant control of aflatoxin production, in order to obtain feedstuffs and feed with a high standard of quality and safety to enhance the wellbeing of dairy cows. The presence of T. versicolor, grown on sugar beet pulp, inhibited the production of aflatoxin B1 in maize by A. flavus. Furthermore, treatment of contaminated maize with culture filtrates of T. versicolor containing ligninolytic enzymes, showed a significant reduction of the content of aflatoxin B1.

Lipids in Aspergillus flavus-maize interaction.

In some filamentous fungi, the pathways related to the oxidative stress and oxylipins production are involved both in the process of host-recognition and in the pathogenic phase. In fact, recent studies have shown that the production of oxylipins in filamentous fungi, yeasts and chromists is also related to the development of the organism itself and to mechanisms of communication with the host at the cellular level. The oxylipins, also produced by the host during defense reactions, are able to induce sporulation and to regulate the biosynthesis of mycotoxins in several pathogenic fungi. In A. flavus, the oxylipins play a crucial role as signals for regulating the biosynthesis of aflatoxins, the conidiogenesis and the formation of sclerotia. To investigate the involvement of an oxylipins based cross-talk into Z. mays and A. flavus interaction, we analyzed the oxylipins profile of the wild type strain and of three mutants of A. flavus that are deleted at the Aflox1 gene level also during maize kernel invasion. A lipidomic approach has been addressed through the use of LC-ToF-MS, followed by a statistical analysis of the principal components (PCA). The results showed the existence of a difference between the oxylipins profile generated by the WT and the mutants onto challenged maize. In relation to this, aflatoxin synthesis which is largely hampered in vitro, is intriguingly restored. These results highlight the important role of maize oxylipin in driving secondary metabolism in A. flavus.

LDS1-produced oxylipins are negative regulators of growth, conidiation and fumonisin synthesis in the fungal maize pathogen Fusarium verticillioides.

Oxylipins are fatty acid-derived signaling compounds produced by all eukaryotes so far investigated; in mycotoxigenic fungi, they modulate toxin production and interactions with the host plants. Among the many enzymes responsible for oxylipin generation, Linoleate Diol Synthase 1 (LDS1) produces mainly 8-hydroperoxyoctadecenoic acid and subsequently different di-hydroxyoctadecenoic acids. In this study, we inactivated a copy of the putative LDS1 ortholog (acc. N. FVEG_09294.3) of Fusarium verticillioides, with the aim to investigate its influence on the oxylipin profile of the fungus, on its development, secondary metabolism and virulence. LC-MS/MS oxylipin profiling carried out on the selected mutant strain revealed significant quali-quantitative differences for several oxylipins when compared to the WT strain. The Fvlds1-deleted mutant grew better, produced more conidia, synthesized more fumonisins and infected maize cobs faster than the WT strain. We hypothesize that oxylipins may act as regulators of gene expression in the toxigenic plant pathogen F. verticillioides, in turn causing notable changes in its phenotype. These changes could relate to the ability of oxylipins to re-shape the transcriptional profile of F. verticillioides by inducing chromatin modifications and exerting a direct control on the transcription of secondary metabolism in fungi.

Genotypic and phenotypic versatility of Aspergillus flavus during maize exploitation.

Aspergillus flavus is a cosmopolitan fungus able to respond to external stimuli and to shift both its trophic behaviour and the production of secondary metabolites, including that of the carcinogen aflatoxin (AF). To better understand the adaptability of this fungus, we examined genetic and phenotypic responses within the fungus when grown under four conditions that mimic different ecological niches ranging from saprophytic growth to parasitism. Global transcription changes were observed in both primary and secondary metabolism in response to these conditions, particularly in secondary metabolism where transcription of nearly half of the predicted secondary metabolite clusters changed in response to the trophic states of the fungus. The greatest transcriptional change was found between saprophytic and parasitic growth, which resulted in expression changes in over 800 genes in A. flavus. The fungus also responded to growth conditions, putatively by adaptive changes in conidia, resulting in differences in their ability to utilize carbon sources. We also examined tolerance of A. flavus to oxidative stress and found that growth and secondary metabolism were altered in a superoxide dismutase (sod) mutant and an alkyl-hydroperoxide reductase (ahp) mutant of A. flavus. Data presented in this study show a multifaceted response of A. flavus to its environment and suggest that oxidative stress and secondary metabolism are important in the ecology of this fungus, notably in its interaction with host plant and in relation to changes in its lifestyle (i.e. saprobic to pathogenic).

How peroxisomes affect aflatoxin biosynthesis in Aspergillus flavus.

In filamentous fungi, peroxisomes are crucial for the primary metabolism and play a pivotal role in the formation of some secondary metabolites. Further, peroxisomes are important site for fatty acids ß-oxidation, the formation of reactive oxygen species and for their scavenging through a complex of antioxidant activities. Oxidative stress is involved in different metabolic events in all organisms and it occurs during oxidative processes within the cell, including peroxisomal ß-oxidation of fatty acids. In Aspergillus flavus, an unbalance towards an hyper-oxidant status into the cell is a prerequisite for the onset of aflatoxin biosynthesis. In our preliminary results, the use of bezafibrate, inducer of both peroxisomal ß-oxidation and peroxisome proliferation in mammals, significantly enhanced the expression of pex11 and foxA and stimulated aflatoxin synthesis in A. flavus. This suggests the existence of a correlation among peroxisome proliferation, fatty acids ß-oxidation and aflatoxin biosynthesis. To investigate this correlation, A. flavus was transformed with a vector containing P33, a gene from Cymbidium ringspot virus able to induce peroxisome proliferation, under the control of the promoter of the Cu,Zn-sod gene of A. flavus. This transcriptional control closely relates the onset of the antioxidant response to ROS increase, with the proliferation of peroxisomes in A. flavus. The AfP33 transformant strain show an up-regulation of lipid metabolism and an higher content of both intracellular ROS and some oxylipins. The combined presence of a higher amount of substrates (fatty acids-derived), an hyper-oxidant cell environment and of hormone-like signals (oxylipins) enhances the synthesis of aflatoxins in the AfP33 strain. The results obtained demonstrated a close link between peroxisome metabolism and aflatoxin synthesis.

Aoyap1 regulates OTA synthesis by controlling cell redox balance in Aspergillus ochraceus.

Among the various factors correlated with toxin production in fungi, oxidative stress is a crucial one. In relation to this, an important role is played by oxidative stress-related receptors. These receptors can transduce the "oxidative message" to the nucleus and promote a transcriptional change targeted at restoring the correct redox balance in the cell. In Aspergillus parasiticus, the knockout of the ApyapA gene, a homologue of the yeast Yap-1, disables the fungus's capacity to restore the correct redox balance in the cell. As a consequence, the onset of secondary metabolism and aflatoxins synthesis is triggered. Some clues as to the involvement of oxidative stress in the regulation of ochratoxin A (OTA) synthesis in Aspergillus ochraceus have already been provided by the disruption of the oxylipin-producer AoloxA gene. In this paper, we add further evidence that oxidative stress is also involved in the regulation of OTA biosynthesis in A. ochraceus. In fact, the use of certain oxidants and, especially, the deletion of the yap1-homologue Aoyap1 further emphasize the role played by this stress in controlling metabolic and morphological changes in A. ochraceus.

Natural functions of mycotoxins and control of their biosynthesis in fungi.

Mycotoxins are harmful secondary metabolites produced by a range of widespread fungi belonging in the main to Fusarium, Aspergillus and Penicillium genera. But why should fungi produce toxins? And how is the biosynthesis of these toxins regulated? Several separate factors are now known to be capable of modulating mycotoxin synthesis; however, in this study, focussing just on mycotoxins whose regulatory mechanisms have already been established, we introduce a further factor based on a novel consideration. Various different mycotoxin biosynthetic pathways appear to share a common factor in that they are all susceptible to the influence of reactive oxygen species. In fact, when a fungus receives an external stimulus, it reacts by activating, through a well-defined signal cascade, a profound change in its lifestyle. This change usually leads to the activation of global gene regulators and, in particular, of transcription factors which modulate mycotoxin gene cluster expression. Some mycotoxins have a clear-cut role both in generating a pathogenetic process, i.e. fumonisins and some trichothecenes, and in competing with other organisms, i.e. patulin. In other cases, such as aflatoxins, more than one role can be hypothesised. In this review, we suggest an "oxidative stress theory of mycotoxin biosynthesis" to explain the role and the regulation of some of the above mentioned toxins.

Lipoperoxidation affects ochratoxin A biosynthesis in Aspergillus ochraceus and its interaction with wheat seeds.

In Aspergillus nidulans, Aspergillus flavus, and Aspergillus parasiticus, lipoperoxidative signalling is crucial for the regulation of mycotoxin biosynthesis, conidiogenesis, and sclerotia formation. Resveratrol, which is a lipoxygenase (LOX) and cyclooxygenase inhibitor, downmodulates the biosynthesis of ochratoxin A (OTA) in Aspergillus ochraceus. In the genome of A. ochraceus, a lox-like sequence (AoloxA; National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) accession number: DQ087531) for a lipoxygenase-like enzyme has been found, which presents high homology (100 identities, 100 positives %, score 555) with a lox gene of Aspergillus fumigatus (NCBI accession number: XM741370). To study how inhibition of oxylipins formation may affect the A. ochraceus metabolism, we have used a DeltaAoloxA strain. This mutant displays a different colony morphology, a delayed conidia formation, and a high sclerotia production. When compared to the wild type, the DeltaAoloxA strain showed a lower basal activity of LOX and diminished levels of 13-hydroperoxylinoleic acid (HPODE) and other oxylipins derived from linoleic acid. The limited oxylipins formation corresponded to a remarkable inhibition of OTA biosynthesis in the DeltaAoloxA strain. Also, wheat seeds (Triticum durum cv Ciccio) inoculated with the DeltaAoloxA mutant did not accumulate 9-HPODE, which is a crucial element in the host defence system. Similarly, the expression of the pathogenesis-related protein 1 (PR1) gene in wheat seeds was not enhanced. The results obtained contribute to the current knowledge on the role of lipid peroxidation governed by the AoloxA gene in the morphogenesis, OTA biosynthesis, and in host-pathogen interaction between wheat seeds and A. ochraceus.

Molecular characterization and enzymatic activity of laccases in two Pleurotus spp. with different pathogenic behaviour.

Pleurotus eryngii and P. ferulae, two species belonging to the P. eryngii complex, synthesize laccases, ligninolytic enzymes that play a role in the host-pathogen interaction in the first step of infection. Ecological studies have shown that although both fungi have been recognized as saprophytes, P. eryngii weakly pathogenic when colonizing the roots and stems of Eryngium campestre, whereas P. ferulae is mostly pathogenic to Ferula communis. The paper describes the genomic organization of four putative laccase genes (lac1, lac2, lac3, and lac5-like gene; gene names were assigned on the basis of sequence homologies) of P. eryngii and P. ferulae. The mRNA expression and enzymatic activity of the laccases were analysed under culture conditions where a source of lignin (wheat bran) or lyophilized roots of E. campestre or F. communis were present. These experiments indicated that the four lac-like genes were differentially regulated in the two mushrooms. Specifically, the addition of the lyophilized roots of the respective host plant to the culture media induced an advance in the mRNA expression of the four lac-like genes and a seven-fold higher total laccase activity in P. ferulae than in P. eryngii. The results obtained are discussed in relation to the possible role of laccases in the interaction of P. eryngii and P. ferulae with their respective host.

Modulation of antioxidant defense in Aspergillus parasiticus is involved in aflatoxin biosynthesis: a role for the ApyapA gene.

Oxidative stress is recognized as a trigger of different metabolic events in all organisms. Various factors correlated with oxidation, such as the beta-oxidation of fatty acids and their enzymatic or nonenzymatic by-products (e.g., precocious sexual inducer factors and lipoperoxides) have been shown to be involved in aflatoxin formation. In the present study, we found that increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were correlated with increased levels of aflatoxin biosynthesis in Aspergillus parasiticus. To better understand the role of ROS formation in toxin production, we generated a mutant (Delta ApyapA) having the ApyapA gene deleted, given that ApyapA orthologs have been shown to be part of the antioxidant response in other fungi. Compared to the wild type, the mutant showed an increased susceptibility to extracellular oxidants, as well as precocious ROS formation and aflatoxin biosynthesis. Genetic complementation of the Delta ApyapA mutant restored the timing and quantity of toxin biosynthesis to the levels found in the wild type. The presence of putative AP1 (ApYapA orthologue) binding sites in the promoter region of the regulatory gene aflR further supports the finding that ApYapA plays a role in the regulation of aflatoxin biosynthesis. Overall, our results show that the lack of ApyapA leads to an increase in oxidative stress, premature conidiogenesis, and aflatoxin biosynthesis.

Trametes versicolor: a possible tool for aflatoxin control.

The genotoxic, mutagenic and cancerogenic aflatoxins produced by Aspergillus parasiticus are not yet efficiently controlled besides the increasing researches on this topic. Aflatoxin production by A. parasiticus is related to oxidative stress and some antioxidants can inhibit their production. Some basidiomycetes as Trametes versicolor used as "healing mushrooms" present beta-glucans and glycoproteins which are responsible for the stimulation of the host immune response. In this work T. versicolor culture filtrates, from different isolates, have been tested on A. parasiticus cultures to assay their inhibiting effect on aflatoxin production. Filtrates from T. versicolor were lyophilised and exopolysaccharides and glycoproteins were extracted by subsequent steps and added (2% w/v) to liquid cultures of a toxigenic A. parasiticus strain. Fungal growth and aflatoxins production by A. parasiticus were analysed both in filtrates and in mycelia and no interference on the output of toxins from mycelia was evidenced. Furthermore antioxidant capacity (by crocin test) of the T. versicolor extracts was analysed. All the strains assayed are able to inhibit the toxin production from 40% to above 90% in liquid cultures as well as in maize and wheat seeds inoculated with A. parasiticus. Antioxidant activity and beta-glucans amount in T. versicolor extracts showed a close relationship with aflatoxin inhibition ability and demonstrated that beta-glucans could be involved in aflatoxin inhibition. Molecular data indicate the almost complete inhibition of norA mRNA expression and a delay of aflR mRNA transcription. Filtrates and fractions from T. versicolor could be promising agents in the challenge against aflatoxins.