Production Mechanisms and Biosynthesis of Aflatoxin

A special issue of Toxins (ISSN 2072-6651). This special issue belongs to the section "Mycotoxins".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2019) | Viewed by 15627

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Guest Editor
Toxalim (Research Center in Food Toxicology), Université de Toulouse, INRAe, ENVT, INP-Purpan, UPS, 31027 Toulouse, France
Interests: mycology; the comprehension of biotic and abiotic mechanisms leading to mycotoxin production; strategies that can be used to limit food contamination; identification of natural compounds able to specifically block toxin production; identification of natural compounds that could be used as alternatives to pesticides in the development of sustainable strategies to improve food safety; the emergence of new mycotoxins (Aflatoxin B1, stachybotriotoxins) in Europe due to climate change
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Mycotoxins are frequent contaminants of foods and feeds around the world. Among the hundreds of known mycotoxins, aflatoxins are probably the most important due to their toxic effects (carcinogenic in human), their wide and increasing distribution due to climate changes, as well as their economic consequences (withdrawal of food batches due to international regulations). The biosynthesis of aflatoxins is complex, involving a cluster of 30 genes including two internal regulators. Moreover, the activation of this biosynthetic pathway interacts with many other genes and cellular pathways that are, to date, only partially known and understood. Deciphering the mechanisms underlying the synthesis and control of aflatoxin production could help to identify new strategies to control the contamination of foods and feeds. Indeed, understanding the interconnection between fungal cell biology and signaling and aflatoxin synthesis could lead to the identification of new targets to specifically control toxin production. Such new strategies could represent sustainable and ecologically friendly ways to ensure food safety and preserve biodiversity. 

The focus of this Special Issue of Toxins is on the understanding of the biosynthetic pathways leading to aflatoxin production at both the cellular and molecular levels, as well as ways to control this production by interfering with biosynthetic processes.

Prof. Dr. Jean-Denis Bailly
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • aflatoxins
  • biosynthesis
  • mechanism
  • control
  • cluster
  • fungal biology

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 2424 KiB  
Article
Function of crzA in Fungal Development and Aflatoxin Production in Aspergillus flavus
by Su-Yeon Lim, Ye-Eun Son, Dong-Hyun Lee, Tae-Jin Eom, Min-Ju Kim and Hee-Soo Park
Toxins 2019, 11(10), 567; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins11100567 - 27 Sep 2019
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3825
Abstract
The calcineurin pathway is an important signaling cascade for growth, sexual development, stress response, and pathogenicity in fungi. In this study, we investigated the function of CrzA, a key transcription factor of the calcineurin pathway, in an aflatoxin-producing fungus Aspergillus flavus (A. flavus) [...] Read more.
The calcineurin pathway is an important signaling cascade for growth, sexual development, stress response, and pathogenicity in fungi. In this study, we investigated the function of CrzA, a key transcription factor of the calcineurin pathway, in an aflatoxin-producing fungus Aspergillus flavus (A. flavus). To examine the role of the crzA gene, crzA deletion mutant strains in A. flavus were constructed and their phenotypes, including fungal growth, spore formation, and sclerotial formation, were examined. Absence of crzA results in decreased colony growth, the number of conidia, and sclerocia production. The crzA-deficient mutant strains were more susceptible to osmotic pressure and cell wall stress than control or complemented strains. Moreover, deletion of crzA results in a reduction in aflatoxin production. Taken together, these results demonstrate that CrzA is important for differentiation and mycotoxin production in A. flavus. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Production Mechanisms and Biosynthesis of Aflatoxin)
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Review

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28 pages, 2725 KiB  
Review
Aflatoxin Biosynthesis and Genetic Regulation: A Review
by Isaura Caceres, Anthony Al Khoury, Rhoda El Khoury, Sophie Lorber, Isabelle P. Oswald, André El Khoury, Ali Atoui, Olivier Puel and Jean-Denis Bailly
Toxins 2020, 12(3), 150; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins12030150 - 28 Feb 2020
Cited by 161 | Viewed by 11097
Abstract
The study of fungal species evolved radically with the development of molecular techniques and produced new evidence to understand specific fungal mechanisms such as the production of toxic secondary metabolites. Taking advantage of these technologies to improve food safety, the molecular study of [...] Read more.
The study of fungal species evolved radically with the development of molecular techniques and produced new evidence to understand specific fungal mechanisms such as the production of toxic secondary metabolites. Taking advantage of these technologies to improve food safety, the molecular study of toxinogenic species can help elucidate the mechanisms underlying toxin production and enable the development of new effective strategies to control fungal toxicity. Numerous studies have been made on genes involved in aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) production, one of the most hazardous carcinogenic toxins for humans and animals. The current review presents the roles of these different genes and their possible impact on AFB1 production. We focus on the toxinogenic strains Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus, primary contaminants and major producers of AFB1 in crops. However, genetic reports on A. nidulans are also included because of the capacity of this fungus to produce sterigmatocystin, the penultimate stable metabolite during AFB1 production. The aim of this review is to provide a general overview of the AFB1 enzymatic biosynthesis pathway and its link with the genes belonging to the AFB1 cluster. It also aims to illustrate the role of global environmental factors on aflatoxin production and the recent data that demonstrate an interconnection between genes regulated by these environmental signals and aflatoxin biosynthetic pathway. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Production Mechanisms and Biosynthesis of Aflatoxin)
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