Abstract
The genus Fusarium is considered to be one of the most pathogenic, phytotoxic and toxin-producing group of microorganisms in the world. Plants infected by these fungi are characterized by a reduced consumer and commercial value, mainly due to the contamination of crops with mycotoxins. Therefore, effective methods of reducing fungi of the genus Fusarium must be implemented already in the field before harvesting, especially with alternative methods to pesticides such as biocontrol. In this study we identified yeasts that inhibit the growth of the pathogenic fungi Fusarium culmorum, F. graminearum and F. poae. Tested yeasts came from different culture collections, or were obtained from organic and conventional cereals. The greater number of yeast isolates from organic cereals showed antagonistic activity against fungi of the genus Fusarium compared to isolates from the conventional cultivation system. Cryptococcus carnescens (E22) isolated from organic wheat was the only isolate that limited the mycelial growth of all three tested fungi and was the best antagonist against F. poae. Selected yeasts showed various mechanisms of action against fungi, including competition for nutrients and space, production of volatile metabolites, reduction of spore germination, production of siderophores or production of extracellular lytic enzymes: chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase. Of all the investigated mechanisms of yeast antagonism against Fusarium, competition for nutrients and the ability to inhibit spore germination prevailed.
Highlights
Filamentous fungi and their toxic metabolites significantly reduce the quality of food and feed and pose a serious threat to food safety
Forty nine strains of yeasts belonging to 9 genera: Candida, Rhodotorula, Saccharomyces, Kluyveromyces, Hansenula, Pichia, Pachysolen, Yarrowia, and Trichosporon were obtained from the same Culture Collection, previously purchased from different culture collections: Japan Collection of Microorganisms (JCM), American Type Culture Collection (ATCC), German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures (DSMZ), Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures (CBS), ARS Culture
We identified yeasts that were able to limit the growth of F. culmorum, F. graminearum and F. poae, which are common pathogens of wheat
Summary
Filamentous fungi and their toxic metabolites significantly reduce the quality of food and feed and pose a serious threat to food safety. Fungi of the genus Fusarium are the most frequently isolated pathogens from important agricultural plants, including wheat [2] and maize [3] They commonly occur in soil, plant debris and various organic substrates, where they live as saprophytes, feeding on dead organic matter. Fungi of the genus Fusarium have the ability to synthesize numerous toxic metabolites, including zearalenone, trichothecenes, fumonisins, moniliformin, and beauvericin. These toxins accumulate in plant cells, with which they get into the human and animal food chains, becoming the cause of serious human and animal diseases [4,5,6]. Fusarium mycotoxins are mainly produced by F. culmorum, F. graminearum, F. poae, F. avenaceum, F. oxysporum, F. sporotrichioides, and F. verticillioides [5,7]
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