Mycotoxins in Plant Disease Under the aegis of COST Action 835 ‘Agriculturally Important Toxigenic Fungi 1998-2003’, EU project (QLK 1-CT-1998-01380), and ISPP ‘Fusarium Committee’

There is an urgent need to expand our knowledge of both the nature of the toxigenic fungi that are widespread on economically-important plants and the effect of their toxic secondary metabolites on human health. Informa­ tion about the production of mycotoxins by plant pathogens, particularly by species of Fusarium, Aspergillus and Penicillium, their occurrence in infected plants, as well as their role in the plant-pathogen interaction, for example as virulence/pathogenicity factors, is a pre-requisite for preventing plant disease and hence for reducing the Ievels of mycotoxin contamination. Fusarium infections in cereals and other crops are a particular problern world-wide and recent epidemics on wheat in Europe, the USA and Canada have again focused attention on this problem. Fur­ thermore, species ofAspergillus and Penicillium and their related mycotoxins, particularly Ochratoxin A, represent another consistent problern on cereals and grapes, especially in Europe where 40% of the global grape crop is grown. The aim of this publication is to gather together specialist updated reviews based on papers originally presented during a Workshop of EU Cost Action 835 entitled 'Agriculturally Important Taxigenie Fungi', held in Rome, 7-8 October 1999 at the Plant Pathology Research Institute. We hope the diversity of the contents will stimulate discussion, encourage the sharing of information and result in cross-fertilization of ideas needed for the solution of the present problems. This special issue will be of particular value to interdisciplinary scientists and especially mycologists, mycotoxicologists, plant pathologists and those concerned about the quality of food and food products.

Foreword; A.F. Logrieco, L. Corazza, A. Bottalico. Toxigenic Fusarium species and mycotoxins associated with maize ear rot in Europe; A. Logrieco, G. Mulè, A. Moretti, A. Bottalico. Toxigenic Fusarium species and mycotoxins associated with head blight in small-gram cereals in Europe; A. Bottalico, G. Perrone. Deoxynivalenol, nivalenol and monififormin in wheat saniples with head blight (scab) symptoms in Poland (1998-2000); M. Tomczak, H. Wisniewska, L. Stepien, M. Kostecki, J. Chelkowski, P. Go1inski. Ochratoxin A in cereals, foodstuffs and human plasma; A. Rizzo, M. Eskola, F. Atroshi. Ochratoxin A in grapes and wine; P. Battilani, A. Pietri. Ear rot susceptibility and mycotoxin contamination of maize hybrids inoculated with Fusarium species under field conditions; M. Pascale, A. Visconti, J. Chelkowski. Studies on the infection process of Fusarium culmorum in wheat spikes: Degradation of host cell wall components and localization of trichothecene toxins in infected tissue; Z. Kang, H. Buchenauer. Production of beauvericin by different races of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis, the Fusarium wilt agent of muskmelon; A. Moretti, A. Belisario, A. Tafuri, A. Ritieni, L. Corazza, A. Logrieco. Epidemiology of Fusarium infection and deoxynivalenol content in winter wheat in the Rhineland, Germany; B. Birzele, A. Meier, H. Hindorf, J. Krämer, H.-W. Dehne. Role of deoxynivalenol in aggressiveness of Fusarium graminearum and F. culmorum and in resistance to Fusarium head blight; Á. Mesterházy. Relationship between growth and mycotoxin production by Fusarium species, biocides and environment; N. Magan, R. Hope, A. Colleate, E.S. Baxter. Genetic analysis of the role of trichothecene and fumonisinmycotoxins in the virulence of Fusarium; R.H. Proctor, A.E. Desjardins, S.P.McCormick, R.D. Plattner, N.J. Alexander, D.W. Brown. Saccharomyces cerevisae and Arabidopsis thaliana: Useful model systems for the identification of molecular mechanisms involved in resistance of plants to toxins; R. Mitterbauer, G. Adam. Mycotoxin genetics and gene clusters; G.S. Sidhu. Biosynthesis of depsipeptide mycotoxins in Fusarium; T. Hornbogen, M. Glinski, R. Zocher. Secretion of natural and synthetic toxic compounds from filamentous fungi by membrane transporters of the ATP-binding cassette and major facilitator superfamily; L. Stergiopoulos, L.-H. Zwiers, M.A. De Waard.