Toxigenic Fusarium spp. as Determinants of Trichothecene Mycotoxins

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Toxigenic Fusarium spp. as Determinants of Trichothecene Mycotoxins

in Settled Grain Dust

http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a762484098~db=all

Authors: Anne Straumfors Halstensen a; Karl-Christian Nordby b;

Sonja Sletner Klemsdal c; Oleif Elen c; Per- Clasen d; Wijnand

Eduard a

Affiliations: a Department of Occupational Hygiene, National

Institute of Occupational Health, Oslo, Norway

b Department of Occupational Medicine, National Institute of

Occupational Health, Oslo, Norway

c Department of Plant Pathology, Norwegian Crop Research Institute,

Ås, Norway

d Department of Feed and Food Hygiene, National Veterinary

Institute, Oslo, Norway

DOI: 10.1080/15459620600987431

Publication Frequency: 12 issues per year

Published in: Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene,

Volume 3, Issue 12 December 2006 , pages 651 - 659

First Published on: 01 December 2006

Subject: Environmental Health;

Formats available: HTML (English) : PDF (English)

Also incorporating: AIHA Journal

Also incorporating: Applied Occupational and Environmental Hygiene

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Abstract

Trichothecenes are immunosuppressive mycotoxins produced mainly by

Fusarium spp. and often are detected as natural contaminants of

grain and other agricultural products. Exposure to trichothecenes

through inhalation during grain work may represent possible health

risks for grain farmers. We aimed, therefore, to investigate the

level of Fusarium spp. and trichothecenes in settled grain dust

collected during work on 92 Norwegian farms. Mycotoxins were

determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, whereas the

Fusarium spp. were identified and quantified both by species-

specific semiquantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and by

cultivation. All potential trichothecene-producing molds in the

grain dust were quantified using a PCR assay specific for tri5, the

gene coding for trichodiene synthase that catalyzes the first step

in the trichothecene biosynthesis. We performed correlation analysis

between mold-DNA and mycotoxins to assess whether the PCR-detected

DNA could be used as indicators of the mycotoxins. The

methodological problem of detecting small amounts of airborne

mycotoxins during grain work may then be avoided. Whereas the

trichothecene-producing Fusarium species in grain dust could not be

identified or quantified to a sufficient extent by cultivation, all

investigated Fusarium spp. could be specifically detected by PCR and

quantified from the DNA agarose gel band intensities. Furthermore,

we observed a strong correlation between the trichothecenes HT-2

toxin (HT-2) or T-2 toxin (T-2) and DNA specific for tri5 (r = 0.68

for HT-2 and r = 0.50 for T-2; p < 0.001), F. langsethiae (r = 0.77

for HT-2 and r = 0.59 for T-2; p < 0.001), or F. poae (r = 0.41 for

HT-2 and r = 0.35 for T-2; p < 0.001). However, only a moderate

correlation was observed between the trichothecene deoxynivalenol

(DON) and the combination of its producers, F. culmorum and F.

graminearum (r = 0.24, p = 0.02), and no significant correlation was

observed between DON and tri5. PCR clearly improved the detection of

toxigenic Fusaria as potential sources of health risks for farmers

inhaling grain dust during work, but the use of Fusarium-DNA as

indicators for trichothecenes should be used cautiously.

Keywords: Fusarium; grain dust; occupational exposure; PCR;

trichothecenes; tri5

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