Fumonisins synthesis

Proctor RH Fusarium toxins Trichothecenes and Fumonisins in Cary JW, Linz JE, Bhatnagar D (eds) Microbial Foodbome Diseases Mechanism of pathogenesis and toxin synthesis. Lancaster, Technomic Publishing 2000, pp 363—381. 

In some regions where com is essential for human nutrition, the occurrence of esophageal carcinoma has been reported, and this has been associated with fumonisin contamination (211). Concerning the AAL-toxins (see previous section), these were found to be associated with human esophageal cancer, equine leukoencephalomalacia, and liver diseases in humans (272). In the laboratory, these compounds have been shown to inhibit sphingolipid synthesis (213) and to cause apoptosis in tomato cells and green monkey kidney cells (214, 215). 

Sphingosine and sphingosine 1-phosphate can induce DNA synthesis in growth-arrested Swiss 3T3 cells. FBj incubated with the cells elevated sphingosine and induced an increase in [ H] thymidine incorporation into DNA (59). Further studies showed that sphinganine was required for stimulation of DNA synthesis. Studies with LLC-PK renal cells showed a close correlation between fumonisin-induced cytotoxicity and inhibition of de novo sphingolipid biosyntheses (82). However, studies with primary rat hepatocytes have not shown any relationship between cytotoxicity and elevation of free sphingoid bases (38). 

Applegate, J.M. 1992. The synthesis of fumonisin B, analogs and silicon crosslinking agents. Ph.D. Thesis, Iowa State University, Ames, lA. 

Schroeder, J.J., Crane, H.M., Xia, J., Liotta, D.C., and Merrill, A.H.,Jr., 1994, Dismption of sphingolipid metabolism and stimulation of DNA synthesis by fumonisin B1. A molecular mechanism for carcinogenesis assosiated with Fusarium moniliforme, J.Biol.Chem. 269(5) 3475-3481. 

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