Short review: Metabolism of the Fusarium mycotoxins deoxynivalenol and zearalenone in plants.

Plants have a high capacity to transform and thereby detoxify deleterious or poisonous compounds, like mycotoxins. The formation of glucose conjugates has a central role in this process. Mammals, however, are able to (partly) release the precursor substances during digestion, reactivating the mycotoxins. This short review provides a brief summary about the metabolism of the Fusarium mycotoxins deoxynivalenol and zearalenone in plants. Two examples are discussed in greater detail. First, the formation of deoxynivalenol-3-glucoside in wheat is linked to a quantitative trait locus that is often used for Fusarium head blight resistance breeding. Secondly, the metabolism of zearalenone in Arabidopsis thaliana results in at least 17 different metabolites, all of which are potentially hazardous for humans and animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]