Fusarium

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Fusarium
Fusarium verticillioides
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Sordariomycetes
Order: Hypocreales
Family: Nectriaceae
Genus: Fusarium
Link (1809)[1]
Species

List of Fusarium species

Fusarium /fjuˈzɛəriəm/

trichothecenes. Despite most species apparently being harmless (some existing on the skin as commensal members of the skin flora), some Fusarium species and subspecific groups are among the most important fungal pathogens of plants and animals
.

The name of Fusarium comes from Latin fusus, meaning a spindle.

Taxonomy

The taxonomy of the genus is complex. A number of different schemes have been used, and up to 1,000 species have been identified at times, with approaches varying between wide and narrow concepts of speciation (lumpers and splitters).[2][3][4]

Phylogenetic studies seven major clades within the genus.[4]

There is a proposed concept – widely subscribed by specialists – that would include essentially the genus as it now stands, including especially all agriculturally significant Fusaria.[5][6] There is a counterproposal (unrelated to Watanabe 2011) that goes far in the other direction, with seven entirely new genera.[7]

Subdivision

Various schemes have subdivided the genus into subgenera and sections. There is a poor correlation between sections and phylogenetic

clades.[4]

Sections previously described include:

  • Arachnites
  • Arthrosporiella
  • Discolour
  • Elegans
  • Eupionnotes
  • Gibbosum
  • Lateritium
  • Liseola
  • Martiella
  • Ventricosum
  • Roseum
  • Spicarioides
  • Sporotrichiella

Species

Selected species include:

Pathogen

Fusarium chlamydospores
Micro and macro conidia under 45x magnification
Macroconidia

The genus includes a number of economically important plant pathogenic species.

Fusarium graminearum commonly infects barley if there is rain late in the season. It is of economic impact to the malting and brewing industries, as well as feed barley. Fusarium contamination in barley can result in head blight, and in extreme contaminations, the barley can appear pink.[8] The genome of this wheat and maize pathogen has been sequenced. F. graminearum can also cause root rot and seedling blight. The total losses in the US of barley and wheat crops between 1991 and 1996 have been estimated at $3 billion.[8]

Gros Michel cultivar. A more recent strain also affects the Cavendish cultivars which commercially replaced Gros Michel. It is considered inevitable[by whom?
] that this susceptibility will spread globally and commercially wipe out the Cavendish cultivar, for which there are currently no acceptable replacements.

Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. narcissi causes rotting of the bulbs (basal rot) and yellowing of the leaves of daffodils (Narcissi).

In 2021 it was discovered that Fusarium xyrophilum was able to hijack a South American species of yellow-eyed Xyris grass, creating fake flowers, fooling bees and other pollinating insects into visiting them, taking fungal spores to other plants.[9]

In humans

Some species may cause a range of

neutrophils count), aggressive fusarial infections penetrating the entire body and bloodstream (disseminated infections) may be caused by members of the Fusarium solani complex, Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium verticillioides, Fusarium proliferatum and, rarely, other fusarial species.[11]

Research

The

isolation medium for Fusaria is usually peptone PCNB agar (peptone pentachloronitrobenzene agar, PPA).[12]: 7 [13] For F. oxysporum specifically, Komada's medium is most common.[12]: 7  Differential identification is difficult in some strains.[13] Vegetative compatibility group analysis is best for some, is one usable method for others, and requires such a large number of assays that it is too complicated for yet others.[13]

Use as human food

Quorn in Europe and North America
.

Fusarium strain flavolapis is also produced as a human food by Nature's Fynd under the name Fy in North America.[14] It is used as a part of Le Bernardin menu in several dishes.[15]

Some consumers of fusarium products have shown food allergies similar in nature to peanut and other food allergies. People with known sensitivities to molds should exercise caution when consuming such products.[16]

Biological warfare

Mass casualties occurred in the

Kampuchea, and Afghanistan between 1975 and 1981.[17][18] The "biological warfare agent" was later purported to be merely bee feces,[19][20]
but the issue remains disputed. In 2023 Israeli soldiers fighting in Gaza were found to be contaminated by Fusarium, causing at least one death, but so far there are no indications that the fungi was used as a weapon.

Pest

Fusarium has posed a threat to the ancient cave paintings in Lascaux since 1955, when the caves were first opened to visitors. The caves subsequently closed and the threat subsided, but the installation of an air conditioning system in 2000 caused another outbreak of the fungus which is yet to be resolved.[21]

Microbiota

Fusarium may be part of microbiota including digestive as well as oral/dental, there have been rare cases of Fusariosis presenting as a necrotic ulceration of the gingiva, extending to the alveolar bone has been reported in a granulocytopenic patient.[22]

References

  1. ^ Link, Johann Heinrich Friedrich (1809). "Observationes in ordines plantarum naturales. Dissertatio I." Magazin der Gesellschaft Naturforschenden Freunde Berlin (in Latin). 3 (1): 10. Retrieved 2018-11-21.
  2. ^ Nelson 1994.
  3. ^ Moretti 2009.
  4. ^ a b c Watanabe 2011.
  5. S2CID 226991166
    .
  6. PMID 23379853
    .
  7. PMID 26955195
    .
  8. ^
    ISBN 0-306-47288-0 [page needed
    ]
  9. ^ Simons, Paul (17 February 2021). "Plantwatch: fungus creates fake fragrant flowers to fool bees". the Guardian. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  10. PMID 21413276
    – via NCBI Bookshelf.
  11. ISBN 978-0-8247-0683-8
    – via Google Books.
  12. ^
    S2CID 82470396
    .
  13. ^
    PMID 30812915
    .
  14. ^ Watson, Elaine (2021-06-18). "Nature's Fynd receives GRAS no questions letter from FDA for 'Fy' nutritional fungi protein". foodnavigator-usa.com. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  15. ^ Axworthy, Nicole. "This Vegan Fungi Protein Makes Fine-Dining Debut at NYC's Le Bernardin". VegNews.com. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  16. PMID 12401831
    .
  17. PMID 10534900
    .
  18. ^ "Repeating mistakes of the past: another mycoherbicide research bill" (PDF). Drug Policy Alliance. 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 February 2009. Retrieved 2007-05-27.
  19. PMID 6709055
    .
  20. PMID 3715471
    .
  21. PMID 17077862
    .
  22. PMID 25328305
    .

Bibliography

External links
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