TRICHOTHECENE PRODUCTION BY FUSARIUM SPP ISOLATED FROM MANITOBA GRAIN

Thirty-five isolates of common Fusarium species from Manitoba wheat, and one from Manitoba corn, were tested for trichothecene production in liquid cultures. The Fusarium species were: F. acuminatum, F. avenaceum, F. crookwellense, F. culmorum, F. equiseti, F. graminearum, F. poae, and F. sporotrichioides. The culture media were solvent-extracted, and the purified residues assayed for selected trichothecene mycotoxins by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Cultures of F. sporotrichioides produced T-2 and HT-2 toxins, diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS), neosolaniol (NSL), 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol (15ADON), fusarenone-X (FX), deoxynivalenol (DON), and nivalenol (NIV). These trichothecenes, with the exception of NSL, were also present in cultures of F. graminearum and F. poae. Fusarium culmorum cultures produced HT-2 toxin, 15ADON, FX, DON, and NIV; F. equiseti cultures produced similar trichothecenes, but with DAS present instead of NIV. A single isolate of F. crookwellense from corn produced HT-2 toxin, 15ADON, FX, and DON; F. avenaceum cultures produced only 15ADON and DON. In F. acuminatum cultures, only T-2 toxin, FX, and DON were detected. F. graminearum, F. poae and F. sporotrichioides produced the greatest amount and the greatest number of trichothecene mycotoxins. Maximum levels of 124.6 mug T-2 toxin/mL culture were observed for one isolate of F. sporotrichioides.