Influence of environmetal factors in the tenuazonic acid production by Alternaria spp.

• Grant number: 18/26254-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: April 01, 2019
• End date: March 31, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Benedito Corrêa
• Grantee: Amanda Campos Nocera
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Mycotoxins are substances derived from the secondary metabolism of fungal species that are highly important when they are food contaminants; agricultural products ate the most affected by these microorganisms. Brazil is a notorious producer and exporter country of agricultural products, and in this context, it is a target of the toxigenic fungi; there are many clinical implications due to the action of these compounds, such as hepatotoxic and carcinogenic effects. The main fungal genera producers of mycotoxins are Fusarim spp., Aspergillus spp. and Penicillium spp.; however, Alternaria spp. genus is currently known as an important producer of tenuazonic acid (TA), a powerful toxin capable of inhibit protein synthesis at a ribosomal level. The purpose of this study is to analyse the mycobiota of barley grains from the South region of the country, aiming to find Alternaria species producers of tenuazonic acid. Furthermore, an ecophysiological study will be done to elucidate the best conditions of TA production by the analysed fungi. The obtained results will be extremely important to the control of safe concentrations of TA to humans and animals in barley cultivations.