Fusarium venenatum

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Classification

Fungi; Ascomycota; Sordariomycetes; Hypocreales; Nectriaceae

Species

NCBI: [1]

Fusarium venenatum

Description and Significance

Fusarium venenatumis a filamentous, soil-dwelling, non-pathogenic fungi that is widespread in soils across the globe (King et al. 2018). It is closely related to Fusarium graminearum, a pathogenic fungus known to cause head blight on wheat which is also a producer of potent mycotoxins. When first cultured in the search for novel sources of mycoprotein, it was identified as F. graminearum, but further analysis of molecular phylogenetic, morphological, and mycotoxin data supported its reclassification as F. venenatum (O'Donnell et al. 1998). It is most well-known and studied as the fungus used as mycoprotein in the production of the food product known as Quorn (Wiebe 2002).

Life Cycle, Cell Structure, Metabolism

When grown in culture, F. venenatum produces multinucleate, multi- septate, banana-shaped spores known as macroconidia. The macroconidia are formed from uninucleate spore-producing cells known as phialides and are therefore homokaryotic. Mycelium of the fungi is coenocytic and shares the nuclear characteristics of the macroconidia (Trinci 1994). The fungus also produces two additional types of mitotic spores—microconidia produced from conidiophores, and clamydospres produced on and within hyphae (Dweba et al. 2016).

The generalized life cycle of Fusarium spp. has both sexual and asexual phases, both of which produce haploid mycelium. Following plasmogamy and karyogamy, outcorossed and selfed perithecium respectively produce recombinant and clonal meioticspores. These form haploid the mycelium which in turn form the three types of mitotic spores previously mentioned (Dweba et al. 2016).

Much research has been done on the industrial strains of F. venenatum used in the production of Quorn. Due to the fungus' metabolic processes and its ability to adapt to the large-scale fermentation processes necessary for its production as a food product, it has been examined as a potential producer of industrial enzymes such as trypsin and xylanase (Berka et al. 2004).

Genome Structure

Describe the size and content of the genome. How many chromosomes? Other interesting features? What is known about its sequence?


Ecology and Pathogenesis

Habitat; symbiosis; environmental or industrial relevance; contributions to environment.
If relevant, how does this organism cause disease? Human, animal, plant hosts? Virulence factors, as well as host symptoms.

References

[Sample reference] Takai, K., Sugai, A., Itoh, T., and Horikoshi, K. "Palaeococcus ferrophilus gen. nov., sp. nov., a barophilic, hyperthermophilic archaeon from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent chimney". International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. 2000. Volume 50. p. 489-500.

Author

Page authored by _____, student of Dr. Marc Orbach, University of Arizona .