Intraspecific Growth and Aflatoxin Inhibition Responses to Atoxigenic : Evidence of Secreted, Inhibitory Substances in Biocontrol.

The fungus infects corn, peanut, and cottonseed, and contaminates seeds with acutely poisonous and carcinogenic aflatoxin. Aflatoxin contamination is a perennial threat in tropical and subtropical climates. Nonaflatoxin-producing isolates (atoxigenic) are deployed in fields to mitigate aflatoxin contamination.

Rice Phyllosphere Bacillus Species and Their Secreted Metabolites Suppress Growth and Aflatoxin Production In Vitro and In Maize Seeds.

The emergence of super-toxigenic strains by recombination is a risk from an intensive use of intraspecific aflatoxin (AF) biocontrol agents (BCAs). Periodical alternation with interspecific-BCAs will be safer since they preclude recombination. We are developing an AF-biocontrol system using rice-associated reported previously (RABs).

Cyclopiazonic Acid Is a Pathogenicity Factor for Aspergillus flavus and a Promising Target for Screening Germplasm for Ear Rot Resistance.

Aspergillus flavus, an opportunistic pathogen, contaminates maize and other key crops with carcinogenic aflatoxins (AFs). Besides AFs, A. flavus makes many more secondary metabolites (SMs) whose toxicity in insects or vertebrates has been studied.

Intraspecific aflatoxin inhibition in Aspergillus flavus is thigmoregulated, independent of vegetative compatibility group and is strain dependent.

Biological control of preharvest aflatoxin contamination by atoxigenic stains of Aspergillus flavus has been demonstrated in several crops. The assumption is that some form of competition suppresses the fungus's ability to infect or produce aflatoxin when challenged. Intraspecific aflatoxin inhibition was demonstrated by others.