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Toxins
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Aspergillus flavus and Aflatoxins (Volume III)
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Aspergillus flavus and Aflatoxins (Volume III)

A special issue of Toxins (ISSN 2072-6651). This special issue belongs to the section "Mycotoxins".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2025 | Viewed by 5075

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Shihua Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Fungi and Mycotoxins of Fujian Province, Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology of Education Ministry, School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
Interests: fungi; A. flavus; secondary metabolite; mycotoxins; biosynthetic pathway; antibody; detection; regulation; control; post-translation modification
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Yang Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Food Science and Engineering, Foshan University, Foshan 528231, China
Interests: fungi toxins; A. flavus; prevention, control and detoxification
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is well known that aflatoxins (AFs), a type of toxic and carcinogenic secondary metabolites mainly produced by Aspergillus flavus, not only represent a serious threat to human and animal health, but also cause significant economic losses regarding food and feed. Since the discovery of AFs in 1960s, significant research progress on A. flavus and AFs has been achieved. With the rapid development of molecular biology, genomics and bioinformatics, the research of A. flavus and AFs has entered a new era, especially regarding the regulation mechanism of growth and development and secondary metabolism, the discovery of novel natural products, the synthesis mechanism of natural products, and toxin detection. The regulation mechanism is very complex and includes the transcription level, translational level, and post-translational modification (PTM) level. Among them, PTM is one of the current research hotspots, including novel succinylation and benzoylation modifications. A. flavus conidia and sclerotium, as the primary sources of infection, play critical roles in the effects of A. flavus and aflatoxins. In addition, the highly sensitive detection of toxins is also an effective way to reduce losses caused by A. flavus and aflatoxins. Therefore, it is important that the regulation mechanisms of the growth and development of A. flavus and its toxin biosynthesis are revealed, and efficient and sensitive detection methods are developed.

The current Special Issue aims to collect papers related to A. flavus and aflatoxins, on subjects ranging from molecular mechanisms to detection methods, and this includes original research articles, and review articles. As the guest editors, we look forward to receiving papers from researchers and experts.

Prof. Dr. Shihua Wang
Prof. Dr. Yang Liu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Toxins is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Aspergillus flavus
  • growth and development
  • aflatoxins
  • secondary metabolism
  • post-translational modification
  • detection

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

10 pages, 1868 KiB  
Article
X-ray Irradiation Reduces Live Aspergillus flavus Viability but Not Aflatoxin B1 in Naturally Contaminated Maize
by Hannah Glesener, Darya Abdollahzadeh, Christopher Muse, Rosa Krajmalnik-Brown, Mark A. Weaver and Lee E. Voth-Gaeddert
Toxins 2024, 16(8), 329; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins16080329 - 25 Jul 2024
Viewed by 538
Abstract
Food crops around the world are commonly contaminated with Aspergillus flavus, which can produce the carcinogenic mycotoxin aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). The objective of this study is to test an X-ray irradiation sterilization method for studying AFB1 in contaminated maize samples in the [...] Read more.
Food crops around the world are commonly contaminated with Aspergillus flavus, which can produce the carcinogenic mycotoxin aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). The objective of this study is to test an X-ray irradiation sterilization method for studying AFB1 in contaminated maize samples in the laboratory. Maize that had been naturally contaminated with 300 ppb AFB1 by the growth of aflatoxigenic A. flavus was ground and then irradiated at 0.0, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, and 3.0 kGy. A. flavus was quantified by dilution plating on potato dextrose agar (PDA) and modified Rose Bengal media (MDRB) for viability and qPCR for gene presence. AFB1 was quantified by HPLC and ELISA. A. flavus viability, but not gene copies, significantly decreased with increasing doses of radiation (PDA: p < 0.001; MDRB: p < 0.001; qPCR: p = 0.026). AFB1 concentration did not significantly change with increasing doses of radiation (HPLC: p = 0.153; ELISA: p = 0.567). Our results imply that X-ray irradiation is an effective means of reducing viable A. flavus without affecting AFB1 concentrations. Reducing the hazard of fungal spores and halting AFB1 production at the targeted dose are important steps to safely and reproducibly move forward research on the global mycotoxin challenge. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aspergillus flavus and Aflatoxins (Volume III))
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14 pages, 9547 KiB  
Article
Rhein Inhibits Cell Development and Aflatoxin Biosynthesis via Energy Supply Disruption and ROS Accumulation in Aspergillus flavus
by Xiaoyan Wang, Kashif Iqbal Sahibzada, Ruibo Du, Yang Lei, Shan Wei, Na Li, Yuansen Hu and Yangyong Lv
Toxins 2024, 16(7), 285; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins16070285 - 23 Jun 2024
Viewed by 793
Abstract
Aspergillus flavus and its carcinogenic secondary metabolites, aflatoxins, not only cause serious losses in the agricultural economy, but also endanger human health. Rhein, a compound extracted from the Chinese herbal medicine Rheum palmatum L. (Dahuang), exhibits good anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, and anti-oxidative effects. However, [...] Read more.
Aspergillus flavus and its carcinogenic secondary metabolites, aflatoxins, not only cause serious losses in the agricultural economy, but also endanger human health. Rhein, a compound extracted from the Chinese herbal medicine Rheum palmatum L. (Dahuang), exhibits good anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, and anti-oxidative effects. However, its effect and underlying mechanisms against Aspergillus flavus have not yet been fully illustrated. In this study, we characterized the inhibition effect of rhein on A. flavus mycelial growth, sporulation, and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) biosynthesis and the potential mechanism using RNA-seq analysis. The results indicate that A. flavus mycelial growth and AFB1 biosynthesis were significantly inhibited by 50 μM rhein, with a 43.83% reduction in colony diameter and 87.2% reduction in AFB1 production. The RNA-seq findings demonstrated that the differentially expressed genes primarily participated in processes such as spore formation and development, the maintenance of cell wall and membrane integrity, management of oxidative stress, the regulation of the citric acid cycle, and the biosynthesis of aflatoxin. Biochemical verification experiments further confirmed that 50 μM rhein effectively disrupted cell wall and membrane integrity and caused mitochondrial dysfunction through disrupting energy metabolism pathways, leading to decreased ATP synthesis and ROS accumulation, resulting in impaired aflatoxin biosynthesis. In addition, a pathogenicity test showed that 50 μM rhein inhibited A. flavus spore growth in peanut and maize seeds by 34.1% and 90.4%, while AFB1 biosynthesis was inhibited by 60.52% and 99.43%, respectively. In conclusion, this research expands the knowledge regarding the antifungal activity of rhein and provides a new strategy to mitigate A. flavus contamination. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aspergillus flavus and Aflatoxins (Volume III))
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12 pages, 14393 KiB  
Article
The Effects of Aflatoxin B1 on Liver Cholestasis and Its Nutritional Regulation in Ducks
by Aimei Yu, Huanbin Wang, Qianhui Cheng, Shahid Ali Rajput and Desheng Qi
Toxins 2024, 16(6), 239; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins16060239 - 24 May 2024
Viewed by 679
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) on cholestasis in duck liver and its nutritional regulation. Three hundred sixty 1-day-old ducks were randomly divided into six groups and fed for 4 weeks. The [...] Read more.
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) on cholestasis in duck liver and its nutritional regulation. Three hundred sixty 1-day-old ducks were randomly divided into six groups and fed for 4 weeks. The control group was fed a basic diet, while the experimental group diet contained 90 μg/kg of AFB1. Cholestyramine, atorvastatin calcium, taurine, and emodin were added to the diets of four experimental groups. The results show that in the AFB1 group, the growth properties, total bile acid (TBA) serum levels and total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and glutathione (GSH) liver levels decreased, while the malondialdehyde (MDA) and TBA liver levels increased (p < 0.05). Moreover, AFB1 caused cholestasis. Cholestyramine, atorvastatin calcium, taurine, and emodin could reduce the TBA serum and liver levels (p < 0.05), alleviating the symptoms of cholestasis. The qPCR results show that AFB1 upregulated cytochrome P450 family 7 subfamily A member 1 (CYP7A1) and cytochrome P450 family 8 subfamily B member 1 (CYP8B1) gene expression and downregulated ATP binding cassette subfamily B member 11 (BSEP) gene expression in the liver, and taurine and emodin downregulated CYP7A1 and CYP8B1 gene expression (p < 0.05). In summary, AFB1 negatively affects health and alters the expression of genes related to liver bile acid metabolism, leading to cholestasis. Cholestyramine, atorvastatin calcium, taurine, and emodin can alleviate AFB1-induced cholestasis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aspergillus flavus and Aflatoxins (Volume III))
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17 pages, 5464 KiB  
Article
Chitin Deacetylase Homologous Gene cda Contributes to Development and Aflatoxin Synthesis in Aspergillus flavus
by Xin Zhang, Meifang Wen, Guoqi Li and Shihua Wang
Toxins 2024, 16(5), 217; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins16050217 - 9 May 2024
Viewed by 902
Abstract
The fungal cell wall serves as the primary interface between fungi and their external environment, providing protection and facilitating interactions with the surroundings. Chitin is a vital structural element in fungal cell wall. Chitin deacetylase (CDA) can transform chitin into chitosan through deacetylation, [...] Read more.
The fungal cell wall serves as the primary interface between fungi and their external environment, providing protection and facilitating interactions with the surroundings. Chitin is a vital structural element in fungal cell wall. Chitin deacetylase (CDA) can transform chitin into chitosan through deacetylation, providing various biological functions across fungal species. Although this modification is widespread in fungi, the biological functions of CDA enzymes in Aspergillus flavus remain largely unexplored. In this study, we aimed to investigate the biofunctions of the CDA family in A. flavus. The A. flavus genome contains six annotated putative chitin deacetylases. We constructed knockout strains targeting each member of the CDA family, including Δcda1, Δcda2, Δcda3, Δcda4, Δcda5, and Δcda6. Functional analyses revealed that the deletion of CDA family members neither significantly affects the chitin content nor exhibits the expected chitin deacetylation function in A. flavus. However, the Δcda6 strain displayed distinct phenotypic characteristics compared to the wild-type (WT), including an increased conidia count, decreased mycelium production, heightened aflatoxin production, and impaired seed colonization. Subcellular localization experiments indicated the cellular localization of CDA6 protein within the cell wall of A. flavus filaments. Moreover, our findings highlight the significance of the CBD1 and CBD2 structural domains in mediating the functional role of the CDA6 protein. Overall, we analyzed the gene functions of CDA family in A. flavus, which contribute to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying aflatoxin contamination and lay the groundwork for potential biocontrol strategies targeting A. flavus. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aspergillus flavus and Aflatoxins (Volume III))
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13 pages, 1950 KiB  
Article
Recombinant Oxidase from Armillaria tabescens as a Potential Tool for Aflatoxin B1 Degradation in Contaminated Cereal Grain
by Igor Sinelnikov, Oleg Mikityuk, Larisa Shcherbakova, Tatyana Nazarova, Yury Denisenko, Alexandra Rozhkova, Natalia Statsyuk and Ivan Zorov
Toxins 2023, 15(12), 678; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins15120678 - 30 Nov 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1420
Abstract
Forage grain contamination with aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a global problem, so its detoxification with the aim of providing feed safety and cost-efficiency is still a relevant issue. AFB1 degradation by microbial enzymes is considered to be a promising detoxification approach. In this [...] Read more.
Forage grain contamination with aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a global problem, so its detoxification with the aim of providing feed safety and cost-efficiency is still a relevant issue. AFB1 degradation by microbial enzymes is considered to be a promising detoxification approach. In this study, we modified an previously developed Pichia pastoris GS115 expression system using a chimeric signal peptide to obtain a new recombinant producer of extracellular AFB1 oxidase (AFO) from Armillaria tabescens (the yield of 0.3 g/L), purified AFO, and selected optimal conditions for AFO-induced AFB1 removal from model solutions. After a 72 h exposure of the AFB1 solution to AFO at pH 6.0 and 30 °C, 80% of the AFB1 was degraded. Treatments with AFO also significantly reduced the AFB1 content in wheat and corn grain inoculated with Aspergillus flavus. In grain samples contaminated with several dozen micrograms of AFB1 per kg, a 48 h exposure to AFO resulted in at least double the reduction in grain contamination compared to the control, while the same treatment of more significantly (~mg/kg) AFB1-polluted samples reduced their contamination by ~40%. These findings prove the potential of the tested AFO for cereal grain decontamination and suggest that additional studies to stabilize AFO and improve its AFB1-degrading efficacy are required. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aspergillus flavus and Aflatoxins (Volume III))
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