INVESTIGATING MECHANISM-BASED STRATEGIES AGAINST TRICHOTHECENES AND ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS

Project Details

Description

Trichothecenes areubiquitoustoxic secondary metabolites produced by pathogenic fungi in host plants such as wheat, barley, oats, and maize. Due to their natural occurrence in food and high toxicity, trichothecene contamination of food and livestock feed (>78% toxin present) poses a great threat to food safety and human, animal, and planthealth.However, there is a critical gap in our knowledge about the way the toxin works in living cells leading to toxicity that endangersanimals and humans. Previous studies identified novel mechanisms for trichothecene-induced cell death involving themitochondria, an important component of thecell that functions to help produce energy. These studies have shown that the toxin-induced cell death involved mitochondria and genes involved in lipid metabolisms which mediated sensitivity to these toxins. Therefore, the proposed project will study the role oflipid signaling as a mitochondrial 'surveillance' mechanism induced in response to trichothecene-mediated stress.Applying high-throughput methods in molecular biology and biochemistry, this research will identify lipids altered in response to toxin treatment and determine if lipid signaling is important for trichothecene-mediated mitochondrial fragmentation. It will also measure therecognition and degradation of trichothecene-damaged mitochondria by mitophagy, a selective degradation of damaged mitochondria. The research will identify critical components of the mitochondrial-nuclear signaling pathways using yeast (highly conserved between yeasts and animal cells) and then investigate them in more detail in animal cells. This research will leadto new insights into how these toxins modulate themitochondria and mitochondrial signaling and advance our understanding of mechanisms whereby environmental toxins derail the fate of mitochondria in the affected animals. The knowledge gained here will aid efforts to mitigate the impacts of trichothecene contamination in food and food safety; facilitating the development of safer practice and standards in human and animal consumption of contaminated products.Ultimately, the project will aid in promoting safer food, developing potential applications for animal health improvement, and reducing economic losses due to trichothecene contamination.

StatusFinished
Effective start/end date1/1/1612/31/17

Funding

  • National Institute of Food and Agriculture: $149,090.00

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