Detection of 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol, 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol and nivalenol-chemotypes of 'Fusarium graminearum' from Iran using specific PCR assays

Fusarium graminearum is a serious causing agent of Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) or scab of wheat. It produces different types of trichothecene mycotoxins that are detrimental to both humans and domestic animals. These fungi produce various types of trichothecene mycotoxins, principally including nivalenol (NIV), deoxynivalenol (DON), 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol (3-AcDON) and 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol (15-AcDON). In this research, in order to determine the trichothecene chemotypes, a total of 100 isolates of F. graminearum were collected from different fields in Golestan province (Iran). The identity of species were determined using morphological criteria and then were confirmed using species-specific Fg16 primers. A genomic Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was developed to predict the chemotypes based on the sequence of the Tri3 gene. Out of the 100 tested F. graminearum isolates, 72 detected a 549 bp fragment from NIV chemotypes, 10 yielded a 583 bp fragment from 3-AcDON chemotypes and 18 yielded an 863 bp fragment from 15-AcDON producing isolates. According to our findings, NIV chemotype was predominat in the studied areas.