Journal article
Ochratoxin A producing Penicillium verrucosum isolates from cereals reveal large AFLP fingerprinting variability
To examine if molecular amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) fingerprinting of the only ochratoxin A-producing species in European cereals, Penicillium verrucosum, can be used as a method in hazard analysis using critical control points (HACCP). A total of 321 isolates of P. verrucosum were isolated from ochratoxin A-contaminated cereals from Denmark (oats), UK (wheat and barley) and Sweden (wheat).
Of these, 236 produced ochratoxin A as determined by thin layer chromatography; 185 ochratoxin A-producing isolates were selected for AFLP fingerprinting. A total of 138 isolates had unique AFLP patterns, whereas 52 isolates could be allocated to small groups containing from two to four isolates with similar AFLP patterns.
A total of 155 clones were found among the 185 P. verrucosum isolates, thus 84% of the isolates may represent different genets of P. verrucosum. As the few isolates that were grouped often came from the same farm, and those groups that contained AFLP-identical isolates from different countries were morphotypically different.
On single farms up to 35 clones were found. The few groups of ramets from the same genet indicated that a HACCP approach based on clones may require a very large number of AFLP analysis to work in practice, we recommend basing the HACCP approach on the actual species P. verrucosum. A more detailed characterization should rather be based on the profile of species present at different control points, or analysis of the mycotoxins ochratoxin A and citrinin in the isolates.
Examination of 86 isolates with HPLC and diode array detection of P. verrucosum showed that 66% produced ochratoxin A, 87% produced citrinin, 92% produced verrucin and 100% produced verrucolone. Among 184 ochratoxin A-producing Penicillium verrucosum, 155 clonal lineages were indicated by AFLP fingerprinting, indicating a high genetical diversity, yet the species P. verrucosum is phenotypically distinct and valid.
AFLP fingerprinting of Penicillium verrucosum indicates that genetic recombination takes place in this fungus.
Language: | English |
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Year: | 2005 |
Pages: | 684-692 |
ISSN: | 13652672 , 13645072 , 1472765x and 02668254 |
Types: | Journal article |
DOI: | 10.1111/j.1365-2672.2004.02509.x |
ORCIDs: | Frisvad, Jens Christian |