Genetic variation, real-time PCR, metabolites and mycotoxins of Fusarium avenaceum and related species

In this paper the latest studies dealing with genetic variation and mycotoxins of F. avenaceum and related species are reviewed and compared to the data from chromatographic image analyses. Forty-three European strains of Fusarium avenaceum and related species were classified by chromatographic image analysis on full chromatographic matrices. The results were in most cases in agreement with those from morphological and molecular analyses and supported the separation between F. avenaceum, F. arthrosporioides and F. tricinctum and between F. avenaceum groups I and II. The mycotoxin profiles of the Finnish F. avenaceum, F. arthrosporioides and F tricinctum strains were very similar to each other. Moniliformin and enniatins were the main mycotoxins produced. A fluorogenic TaqMan PCR assay (qPCR) was used for the detection of F. avenaceum/ F. arthrosporioides DNA in Finnish barley and wheat. The qPCR results obtained from grain samples were compared to mycotoxin levels. A correlation was found between F. avenaceum/F. arthrosporioides DNA and moniliformin (MON) and enniatin (ENNs) levels in barley. A correlation was also found between the combined F. avenaceum/F. arthrosporioides/F. tricinctum contamination and MON and ENNs levels in barley in 2002, but not in 2003. This was probably due to the higher MON and ENNs levels in 2002 than in 2003. It was possible to use the DNA levels of F. avenaceum/F. arthrosporioides to distinguish between most barley samples containing high amounts of MON and ENNs from those containing low levels of the mycotoxins.