Mycotoxins: Producing Fungi and Mechanisms of Phytotoxicity
A special issue of Toxins (ISSN 2072-6651). This special issue belongs to the section "Mycotoxins".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2019) | Viewed by 8699
Special Issue Editors
Interests: botany; abiotic stress of plants; sulfur metabolism; secondary metabolites; innovative teaching tools
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites of low molecular weight that are toxic to humans, animals and plants. The genera of mycotoxigenic fungi are mainly represented by Aspergillus, Penicillium and Fusarium. All of these fungi can grow on specific crops under favorable conditions of temperature and humidity, and generate mycotoxins before, during, and after harvesting, handling, and shipment. The fungal species Alternaria, Trichoderma, and Trichothecium are also important as food contaminants or pathogens for plants, among others. The extent of mycotoxin contamination of commodities is stimulated by certain environmental conditions; this differs based on geographic location, agricultural methods and the susceptibility of commodities to the penetration of fungi during storage and processing periods. Dangerous mycotoxins like aflatoxins, citrinin, patulin, penicillic acid, tenuazonic acid, beauvericin, ochratoxin A, cytochalasins, deoxynivalenol, fumonisins, fusarin C, fusaric acid, moniliformin, trichothecenes and zearalenone possess a variety of biological activities and cause morphological, physiological and metabolic effects on plants.
The primary effects of different classes of mycotoxins on plants include the seed quality, germination, viability and seedling vigour, growth of root and shoot. Moreover, the most severe dangerous effects arise from their accumulation in the plant tissues, which is consequently associated with development of plant disease symptoms. Mycotoxins (like aflatoxin, ochratoxin, and patulin) can be transported from the soil to the plant. Translocation occurs from the roots to the stems, leaves and fruits and this explains the contamination of healthy intact seeds and fruits with mycotoxins. Overall, this could be hazardous to the plant’s growth and development as well as to the consumer’s health
The focus of this Special Issue of Toxins is on mycotoxins with phytotoxic properties indicating their modes of action at the cellular, biochemical and molecular level. Knowledge can be used to develop strategies that could control pre- and post-harvest mycotoxin contamination in crops.
Prof. Dr. Jutta Papenbrock
Prof. Dr. Ahmed A. Ismaiel
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
- mycotoxins
- phytopathogenic fungi
- phytotoxicity
- mycotoxin-producing fungi
- physiological and metabolic effects
- pre-harvest
- post-harvest
- management strategies
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.
