Metabolite profiling identifies the mycotoxin alternariol in the pathogen Stagonospora nodorum

Tan, K.C., Trengove, R.D., Maker, G.L., Oliver, R.P. and Solomon, P.S. (2009) Metabolite profiling identifies the mycotoxin alternariol in the pathogen Stagonospora nodorum. Metabolomics, 5 (3). pp. 330-335.

Abstract

A recent comparative proteomics study identified the short-chain dehydrogenase (Sch1) as being required for asexual sporulation (Tan et al. Eukaryotic Cell 7:1916–1929, 2008). Metabolite profiling was undertaken on the mutant strains of Stagonospora nodorum lacking the Sch1 gene to help elucidate its role. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry of the polar metabolites in the Sch1 mutants identified a secondary metabolite at a 200-fold greater concentration than observed in the wild-type strains. Comparative analysis of the secondary metabolite and the mycotoxin alternariol using ESI-MS/MS confirmed the identity of the compound as alternariol. This is the first report to confirm the presence of a mycotoxin in S. nodorum and compelling the field to consider the health implication of this disease.