FRC O-1890 F. oxysporum strain has been used for the cloning and sequencing of
the FUM gene cluster [9], although it is supposed to be the only strain of the species
proven to produce fumonisins. Generally, F. oxysporum genotypes are regarded as
able to produce fumonisins in low amounts [232, 233]; nevertheless, Stępień et
al. [7] indicated that it was not possible to confirm the presence of FUM genes in any
of the strains originating from natural F. oxysporum populations.
7
Conclusions
Fusarium genus appears to be very diverse, flexible, and dynamic group of fungi,
able to grow and spread to new environments which includes infecting new hosts.
Moreover, when climatic changes are taken into account, the population shifts and
colonizing new areas become even more obvious. This unique ability depends often
on the secondary metabolites produced by the fungi under specific conditions.
Although the ecological roles of many of the SMs are still blurred or completely
unknown, more and more researchers show their interest in revealing these issues.
Apart from pure scientific curiosity, one has to keep in mind the possible use of the
SMs in biotechnology, pharmacy, and medicine.
The SM biosynthetic gene clusters are an excellent model for evolutionary
studies. Numerous reports on the divergence of the main pathways (e.g., trichothecenes, fumonisins, zearalenone) show that their history may be quite independent of
the primary metabolic processes, implicating horizontal transfers, functional differentiations, and other rearrangements in adapting the microorganism to changing
external conditions. Also, the discovery of new mycotoxin analogs is a proof for the
dynamics that drives the Fusarium populations to develop and spread. Finally, the
regulatory mechanisms of the SMs’ biosynthesis are becoming much clearer each
year, improving our understanding of fungal biology and biochemistry, which is
particularly important in the context of the host-pathogen interactions on genetic and
molecular levels. All this aspects make the future research of fungal secondary
metabolism even more exciting and promising.
Acknowledgments The study was supported by the Polish National Science Centre grants: 2014/
15/B/NZ9/01544 and 2015/17/B/NZ9/03577.
References
1. Desjardins AE (2006) Fusarium, mycotoxins, chemistry, genetics and biology. APS Press, St.
Paul
2. Proctor RH, Plattner RD, Desjardins AE et al (2006) Fumonisin production in the maize
pathogen Fusarium verticillioides: genetic basis of naturally occurring chemical variation.
J Agric Food Chem 54:2424–2430
3. Stępień Ł (2014) The use of Fusarium secondary metabolite biosynthetic genes in chemotypic
and phylogenetic studies. Crit Rev Microbiol 40:176–185
236
Ł. Stępień et al.
the FUM gene cluster [9], although it is supposed to be the only strain of the species
proven to produce fumonisins. Generally, F. oxysporum genotypes are regarded as
able to produce fumonisins in low amounts [232, 233]; nevertheless, Stępień et
al. [7] indicated that it was not possible to confirm the presence of FUM genes in any
of the strains originating from natural F. oxysporum populations.
7
Conclusions
Fusarium genus appears to be very diverse, flexible, and dynamic group of fungi,
able to grow and spread to new environments which includes infecting new hosts.
Moreover, when climatic changes are taken into account, the population shifts and
colonizing new areas become even more obvious. This unique ability depends often
on the secondary metabolites produced by the fungi under specific conditions.
Although the ecological roles of many of the SMs are still blurred or completely
unknown, more and more researchers show their interest in revealing these issues.
Apart from pure scientific curiosity, one has to keep in mind the possible use of the
SMs in biotechnology, pharmacy, and medicine.
The SM biosynthetic gene clusters are an excellent model for evolutionary
studies. Numerous reports on the divergence of the main pathways (e.g., trichothecenes, fumonisins, zearalenone) show that their history may be quite independent of
the primary metabolic processes, implicating horizontal transfers, functional differentiations, and other rearrangements in adapting the microorganism to changing
external conditions. Also, the discovery of new mycotoxin analogs is a proof for the
dynamics that drives the Fusarium populations to develop and spread. Finally, the
regulatory mechanisms of the SMs’ biosynthesis are becoming much clearer each
year, improving our understanding of fungal biology and biochemistry, which is
particularly important in the context of the host-pathogen interactions on genetic and
molecular levels. All this aspects make the future research of fungal secondary
metabolism even more exciting and promising.
Acknowledgments The study was supported by the Polish National Science Centre grants: 2014/
15/B/NZ9/01544 and 2015/17/B/NZ9/03577.
References
1. Desjardins AE (2006) Fusarium, mycotoxins, chemistry, genetics and biology. APS Press, St.
Paul
2. Proctor RH, Plattner RD, Desjardins AE et al (2006) Fumonisin production in the maize
pathogen Fusarium verticillioides: genetic basis of naturally occurring chemical variation.
J Agric Food Chem 54:2424–2430
3. Stępień Ł (2014) The use of Fusarium secondary metabolite biosynthetic genes in chemotypic
and phylogenetic studies. Crit Rev Microbiol 40:176–185
236
Ł. Stępień et al.