FUM and BIK gene expression contribute to describe fumonisin and bikaverin synthesis in Fusarium verticillioides

Authors

I. Lazzaro, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
M. Busman, USDA-ARS
P. Battilani, Università Cattolica del Sacro CuoreFollow
R. A. E. Butchko, USDA-ARS

Date of this Version

2012

Citation

International Journal of Food Microbiology 160 (2012), pp. 94–98. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2012.10.004

Comments

U.S. government work.

Abstract

Fusarium verticillioides is a maize pathogen that produces toxic secondary metabolites, including fumonisins and bikaverin. The regulation of biosynthetic gene expression and the production of these metabolites are not fully understood and in this study we investigated the influence of water activity (0.955 and 0.990) on the expression of 5 genes (FUM3–FUM8–FUM13–FUM14 and BIK1) in F. verticillioides strains after 14 and 21 days incubation. Fumonisin production and biosynthetic gene expression were greatest at a_w=0.990, and the same trend was observed for bikaverin production, and BIK1 expression. FUM3 and FUM14 were the most highly expressed genes and were positively correlated with the production of FB₁, FB₂ and FB₃. When FUM14 is more highly expressed than FUM3 the amount of FB₃ quantified is higher with respect to FB₁; this could be explained by the role of FUM3 in the hydroxylation of FB₃ to FB₁.