Ricerc@Sapienza

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin with a serious impact on human health. In Mediterranean countries, the black Aspergilli group, in particular Aspergillus carbonarius, causes the highest OTA contamination. Here we describe the synthesis of three polyphenolic flavonoids: 5-hydroxy-6,7-dimethoxy-flavone (MOS), 5,6-dihydroxy-7-methoxy-flavone (NEG), and 5,6 dihydroxy-flavone (DHF), as well as their effect on the prevention of OTA biosynthesis and lipoxygenase (LOX) activity in A. carbonarius cultured in a conducive liquid medium.

The necrotrophic mycoparasite Trichoderma atroviride is a biological pest control agent frequently applied in agriculture for the protection of plants against fungal phytopathogens. One of the main secondary metabolites produced by this fungus is 6-pentyl-?-pyrone (6-PP). 6-PP is an organic compound with antifungal and plant growth-promoting activities, whose biosynthesis was previously proposed to involve a lipoxygenase (Lox). In this study, we investigated the role of the single lipoxygenase-encoding gene lox1 encoded in the T. atroviride genome by targeted gene deletion.