Fumonisins, mycotoxins of increasing importance: their nature and their effects.
Abstract: The fumonisins (FBs) are a group of closely related mycotoxins that are prevalent in maize. They were isolated from strains of Fusarium moniliforme (Sheldon), which were implicated in the aetiology of human oesophageal cancer in the Transkei, South Africa. Their discovery explained the cause of equine encephalomalacia, or "hole in the head" syndrome, when it was found by feeding trials in horses that they elicited the disease. Subsequently, they were found to cause hepatic cancer in rats and pulmonary oedema in pigs, with most animal species tested showing liver and kidney damage. FB1 is the most important of the group and, although poorly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, its action is at the cellular level, affecting sphingolipid metabolism. Ceramides derived from sphingosine metabolism are cell regulatory factors affecting, among other things, DNA synthesis. Because FB1 has a close molecular resemblance to sphinganine, it interferes with ceramide biosynthesis and, hence, the processes that it regulates, which is thought to explain its carcinogenic properties. Studies on the FBs are still at a relatively early stage, but it is already clear that they play an important role in animal mycotoxicoses and, by implication, in human disease. A more positive aspect is that they will be used in elucidating the role of sphingolipids in cellular regulation.
Publication Date: 1996-01-01 PubMed ID: 8843466DOI: 10.1016/0163-7258(96)00006-xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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This research article presents the findings of studies on fumonisins – mycotoxins found in maize, their nature, effects, as well as their suspected contribution to the prevalence of diseases like cancer, hepatic liver damage, and pulmonary oedema in humans and certain animals.
Discovery and Background of Fumonisins
- Fumonisins (FBs) are mycotoxins that were discovered in maize strains and linked to human oesophageal cancer in the Transkei region of South Africa.
- Their isolation from strains of Fusarium moniliforme, which were implicated in the etiology of these cancers, shed light on their nature and potential harm. Their discovery was also instrumental in explaining the cause of equine encephalomalacia, commonly known as “hole in the head” syndrome, in horses.
Effects of Fumonisins
- Further studies established that fumonisins could cause hepatic cancer in rats, cause pulmonary oedema in pigs, and also inflict liver and kidney damage in most of the animal species tested.
- FB1, one aspect of the fumonisins group, is highlighted as particularly detrimental. It may be poorly absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract, but it operates at the cellular level and affects sphingolipid metabolism.
Cell-level Activities of Fumonisins
- FB1’s activities at a cellular level are thought to be hinged on its resemblance to sphinganine, a component vital to the metabolism of sphingolipids.
- Ceramides, which are derived from sphingosine metabolism, are crucial cell regulatory factors that significantly influence biological processes, including DNA synthesis.
- The molecular similarity of FB1 to sphinganine allows it to interfere with ceramide biosynthesis, a process through which it can destabilize multiple physiological operations. This interference is believed to explain its carcinogenic properties.
Further Investigations and Implications
- While research on FBs is still at an early stage, their importance in animal mycotoxicoses and potential contribution to human disease is becoming increasingly clear.
- A silver lining is that as studies on these mycotoxins progress, they could be instrumental in unraveling the role sphingolipids play in cellular regulation.
Cite This Article
APA
Dutton MF.
(1996).
Fumonisins, mycotoxins of increasing importance: their nature and their effects.
Pharmacol Ther, 70(2), 137-161.
https://doi.org/10.1016/0163-7258(96)00006-x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Natal, Congella, Durban, South Africa.
MeSH Terms
- Animal Diseases / chemically induced
- Animals
- Carcinogens, Environmental / adverse effects
- Carcinogens, Environmental / toxicity
- Esophageal Neoplasms / chemically induced
- Esophageal Neoplasms / veterinary
- Fumonisins
- Fusarium / chemistry
- Humans
- Molecular Structure
- Mycotoxins / chemistry
- Mycotoxins / isolation & purification
- Mycotoxins / toxicity
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