BEAUVERICIN PRODUCTION BY FUSARIUM SPECIES

Beauvericin is a cyclohexadepsipeptide mycotoxin which has insecticida l properties and which can induce apoptosis in mammalian cells. Beauve ricin is produced by some entomo- and phytopathogenic Fusarium species (Fusarium proliferatum, F. semitectum, and F. subglutinans) and occur s naturally on corn and corn-based foods and feeds infected by Fusariu m spp. We tested 94 Fusarium isolates belonging to 25 taxa, 21 in 6 of the 12 sections of the Fusarium genus and 4 that have been described recently, for the ability to produce beauvericin. Beauvericin was prod uced by the following species (with the number of toxigenic strains co mpared with the number of tested strains given in parentheses): fusari um acuminatum var, acuminatum (I of 4), Fusarium acuminatum var. armen iacum (1 of 3), F. anthophilum (1 of 2), F. avenaceum (1 of 6), F, beo miforme (1 of Ij, F. dlamini (2 of 2), F. equiseti (2 of 3), F, longip es (1 of 2), F. nygamai (2 of 2), F. oxysporum (4 of 7), F. poae (4 of 4), F. sambucinum (12 of 14), and F. subglutinans (3 of 3). These res ults indicate that beauvericin is produced by many species in the genu s Fusarium and that it mag be a contaminant of cereals other than maiz e.