Study on the molecular mechanisms of emergence of novel mycotoxin-producing fungi due to external stress factor

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K05870
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 38050:Food sciences-related
• Research Institution: Azabu University
• Principal Investigator: Kobayashi Naoki 麻布大学, 生命・環境科学部, 准教授 (90447558)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: カビ毒 / ステリグマトシスチン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Mycotoxins produced by some fungi contaminated to various foods and feeds, and the mycotoxin contamination is of great concern to human health around the world. Furthermore, environmental changes such as global warming may lead to changes in productivity of mycotoxins of some fungi and increase mycotoxin-contaminations. In this study, I focused on changes in pH as an environmental change and analyzed growth rate, mycotoxin production, and gene expression of mycotoxin-producing fungi under various pH conditions. Our results revealed that some strains increased their gene expression of mycotoxin biosynthesis genes with the decreasing pH. And their mycotoxin productions were elevated under low pH conditions. It was suggested that the mycotoxin contamination might become a more serious problem, if the environmental changes, such as global warming, cause pH-decreases.

Free Research Field

分子生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

カビ毒産生性変化に関わるメカニズムを明らかにすることで、カビ毒による食品汚染を防ぐための手法開発への足がかりとなる。特に、今回対象としたカビ毒はコメを汚染する主要なカビ毒のひとつであり、本国における主食の安全性担保に関わる重要な手法の開発に結び付くと考える。さらに、同様の手法で研究を進めることで他のカビ毒についても制御法の開発が期待できる。