Abstract
Durum wheat (Triticum turgidum) is one of the most important cereal crops in the world and the staple food for the Tunisian population. The main growing areas of durum wheat are located in the Northern part of the country, which is characterised by a sub humid climate favourable for fungal spoilage of grain such asAlternaria species. These species are able to produce plant pathogenic as well as toxic metabolites. For mycological analysis, the agar test was used. After mycelial growth, theAlternaria species were inoculated on potato carrot agar media. A PCR-based assay followed by a sequencing step allowed the identification ofAlternaria alternata; Alternaria tenuissima and Alternaria japonica from grains.
References
Bottalico A., Logrieco A. (1998). ToxigenicAlternaria species of economic importance. In: Sinha K.K., Bhatnager D., Eds, Mycotoxins in Agriculture and Food Safety, Marcel Dekker, New York, pp. 65–108.
Chu F.S. (1991). Mycotoxins: food contamination mechanism, carcinogenic potential and preventive measures. Mutat. Res., 259: 291–306.
Davis M.D., Stack M.E. (1991). Mutagenicity of Stemphyltoxin III, a metabolite ofAlternaria alternate. Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 57: 180–182.
Dong Z., Liu G., Dong Z., Qian Y., An Y., Miao J., Zhen Y. (1987). Induction of mutagenesis and transformation by the extract ofAlternaria alternata isolated from grains in Linxian, China. Carcinogenesis, 8: 989–991.
Elliot J.A. (1917). Taxonomic characters of the generaAlternaria andMacrosporium. Am. J. Bot., 4: 439–476.
Harvan D.J., Pero R.W. (1976). The structure and toxicity ofAlternaria metabolites, In: Rodricks J.V., Ed., Mycotoxins and Other Fungal Related Food Problems, American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, pp. 344–355.
Ilhan S., Asan A. (2001). Soilborne fungi in wheat fields of Kirka vicinity (Turkey). Biologia Bratisl., 56: 263–271.
Konstantinova P., Bonants P.J.M., van Gent-Pelzer M.P.E., van der Zouwen P., van den Bulk R. (2002). Development of specific primers for detection and identification ofAlternaria spp. In carrot material by PCR and comparison with blotter and plating assays. Mycol Res., 106: 23–33.
Lacey J., Magan N. (1991). Fungi in cereal grains: their occurrence and water and temperature relationships, In: Chelkowsky J., Ed., Mycotoxins, Fungi and Quality in Drying and Storage Cereal Grain, Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp. 77–118.
Liu G., Qian Y., Zhang P., Dong W., Qi Y., Guo H.T. (1992). Etiological role ofAlternaria alternata in human esophageal cancer. Chin. Med. J., 105: 394–400.
Logrieco A., Bottalico A., Mulé M., Moretti A., Perrone G. (2003). Epidemiology of toxigenic fungi and their associated mycotoxins for some Mediterranean crops. Eur. J. Plant Pathol., 109: 645–667.
Logrieco A., Bottalico A., Solfrizzo M., Mule G. (1990). Incidence ofAlternaria species in grains from Mediterranean countries and their ability to produce mycotoxins. Mycologia, 82: 501–505.
Moller E.M., Bahnweg G., Sandermann H., Geiger H.H. (1992). A simple and efficient protocol for isolation of high molecular weight DNA from filamentous fungi, fruit bodies, and infected plant tissues. Nucleic Acids Res., 20: 6115–6116.
Panigrahi S. (1997). In: D’Mello J.P.F., Ed., Handbook of Plant and Fungal Toxicants, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, p. 319.
Pohland A.E. (1993). Mycotoxins in review. Food Addit. Contam., 10: 17–28.
Rana J.P., Gupta P.K.S. (1982). Occurrence of black point disease of wheat in West Bangal. Indian Phytopathol., 35: 700–702.
Saberi R., Javan-Nikkhah M., Heidarian R., Hosseni S., Soleimani P. (2004). Detection of fungal infectious agent of wheat grains in store — pits of Markazi province, Iran. Agri. Appl. Biol. Sci., 67: 418–423.
Sambrook J., Fritsch E.F., Maniatis T. (1989). Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual (3). Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor.
Schrader T.J., Cherry W., Soper K., Langlois I., Vijay H.M. (2001). Examination ofAlternaria alternata mutagenicity and effects of nitrosylation using the Ames Salmonella test. Teratogen. Carcinogen. Mutagen., 21: 261–274.
Scott P.M. (2001). Analysis of agricultural commodities and foods forAlternaria mycotoxins. J. AOAC Int., 84: 1809–1817.
Simmons E.G. (1967). Typification ofAlternaria, Stemphylium andUlocladium. Mycologia 59: 67–92.
Simmons E.G. (1992).Alternaria taxonomy: current status, viewpoint, challenge, In: Chelkowsky J., Visconti A., Eds.,Alternaria Biology, Plant Diseases and Metabolites, Elsevier Science Publishers, Amsterdam, Netherlands, pp. 1–35.
Simmons E.G. (1999).Alternaria themes and variations. Host specific toxin producers. Mycotaxon, 70: 325–369.
Stinson E.E., Osman D.F., Heisler E.G., Siciliano J., Bills D.D. (1981). Mycotoxin production in whole tomatoes, apples, oranges, and lemons. J. Agric. Food. Chem., 29: 790–792.
Strandberg J.O. (1992). Alternaria species that attack vegetable crops: biology and options for disease management. In: Chelkowsky J., Visconti A., Eds.,Alternaria Biology, Plant Diseases and Metabolites, Elsevier Science Publishers, Amsterdam, Netherlands, pp. 175–208.
Visconti A., Sibilia A. (1994).Alternaria toxins. In: Miller J.D., Trenholm H.L., Eds, Mycotoxins in Grain: Compounds Other than Aflatoxin, Eagan, St. Paul, M.N., pp. 315–336.
White T.J., Bruns T., Lee S., Taylor J. (1990). Amplification and direct sequencing of fungal ribosomal RNA genes for phylogenetics, In: Innis M.A., Gelfand D.H., Sninsky J.J., White T.J., Eds, PCR Protocols. Academic Press, San Diego, California, pp. 315–322.
Woody M.A., Chu F.S. (1992). Toxicology ofAlternaria mycotoxins, In: Chelkowsky J., Visconti A., Eds.,Alternaria Biology, Plant Diseases and Metabolites, Elsevier Science Publishers, Amsterdam, Netherlands, pp. 409–434.
Yoshii H. (1941). On the black spot of Asiatic crucifers and the black mould of cabbage. J. Plant Prot., 28: 17.
Zhen Y.Z., Xu Y.M., Liu G.T., Miao J., Xing Y.D., Zheng Q.L., Ma Y.F., Su T., Wang X.L., Ruan L.R., Tian J.F., Zhou G., Yang S.L. (1991). In: O’Neil I.K., Chen J., Bartsch H., Eds, Relevance to Human Cancer of N-Nitroso Compounds, Tobacco Smoke and Mycotoxins, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, p. 253.
Zureik M., Neulck C., Leynnart B., Liard R., Bausquet J., Neukirah F. (2002). Sanitization to airborne mould and severity of asthma: Cross sectional study from European Community respiratory health survey. BMJ, 325: 411–414.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bensassi, F., Zid, M., Rhouma, A. et al. First report ofAlternaria species associated with black point of wheat in Tunisia. Ann. Microbiol. 59, 465–467 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03175132
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03175132