Mycotoxins in Plant Disease : Under the aegis of COST Action 835 ‘Agriculturally Important Toxigenic Fungi 1998-2003’, EU project (QLK 1-CT-1998-01380), and ISPP ‘Fusarium Committee’

There is an urgent need to expand our knowledge of both the nature of the toxigenic fungi that are widespread on economically-important plants and the effect of their toxic secondary metabolites on human health. Informa­ tion about the production of mycotoxins by plant pathogens, particularly by species of Fusarium, Aspergillus and Penicillium, their occurrence in infected plants, as well as their role in the plant-pathogen interaction, for example as virulence/pathogenicity factors, is a pre-requisite for preventing plant disease and hence for reducing the Ievels of mycotoxin contamination. Fusarium infections in cereals and other crops are a particular problern world-wide and recent epidemics on wheat in Europe, the USA and Canada have again focused attention on this problem. Fur­ thermore, species ofAspergillus and Penicillium and their related mycotoxins, particularly Ochratoxin A, represent another consistent problern on cereals and grapes, especially in Europe where 40% of the global grape crop is grown. The aim of this publication is to gather together specialist updated reviews based on papers originally presented during a Workshop of EU Cost Action 835 entitled 'Agriculturally Important Taxigenie Fungi', held in Rome, 7-8 October 1999 at the Plant Pathology Research Institute. We hope the diversity of the contents will stimulate discussion, encourage the sharing of information and result in cross-fertilization of ideas needed for the solution of the present problems. This special issue will be of particular value to interdisciplinary scientists and especially mycologists, mycotoxicologists, plant pathologists and those concerned about the quality of food and food products. Front Matter....Pages i-vii Toxigenic Fusarium species and mycotoxins associated with maize ear rot in Europe....Pages 597-609 Toxigenic Fusarium species and mycotoxins associated with head blight in small-grain cereals in Europe....Pages 611-624 Deoxynivalenol, nivalenol and moniliformin in wheat samples with head blight (scab) symptoms in Poland (1998–2000)....Pages 625-630 Ochratoxin A in cereals, foodstuffs and human plasma....Pages 631-637 Ochratoxin A in grapes and wine....Pages 639-643 Ear rot susceptibility and mycotoxin contamination of maize hybrids inoculated with Fusarium species under field conditions....Pages 645-651 Studies on the infection process of Fusarium culmorum in wheat spikes: Degradation of host cell wall components and localization of trichothecene toxins in infected tissue....Pages 653-660 Production of beauvericin by different races of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis , the Fusarium wilt agent of muskmelon....Pages 661-666 Epidemiology of Fusarium infection and deoxynivalenol content in winter wheat in the Rhineland, Germany....Pages 667-673 Role of deoxynivalenol in aggressiveness of Fusarium graminearum and F. culmorum and in resistance to Fusarium head blight....Pages 675-684 Relationship between growth and mycotoxin production by Fusarium species, biocides and environment....Pages 685-690 Genetic analysis of the role of trichothecene and fumonisin mycotoxins in the virulence of Fusarium ....Pages 691-698 Saccharomyces cerevisae and Arabidopsis thaliana : Useful model systems for the identification of molecular mechanisms involved in resistance of plants to toxins....Pages 699-703 Mycotoxin genetics and gene clusters....Pages 705-711 Biosynthesis of depsipeptide mycotoxins in Fusarium ....Pages 713-718 Secretion of natural and synthetic toxic compounds from filamentous fungi by membrane transporters of the ATP-binding cassette and major facilitator superfamily....Pages 719-734 This volume has gathered together specialist reports compiled through EU-COST Action 835: Agriculturally Important Toxigenic Fungi. The contents should be of particular value to scientists interested in the occurrence and nature of mycotoxins, their importance in the development of disease and the molecular nature of plant-pathogen interactions. The information will also be invaluable to those responsible for determining the levels of mycotoxins in human and animal food and deciding upon regulatory limitations on the levels of mycotoxins in agricultural products