Fumonisins are mycotoxins produced by certain Fusarium species. On which crop are they most commonly found, and under what growing conditions are they favored?

• A. Fusarium moniliforme and Fusarium proliferatum; white and yellow corn; drought during the growing season followed by cool, wet conditions.
• B. Aspergillus flavus; peanuts; humid tropical conditions.
• C. Penicillium verrucosum; oats; hot, dry conditions.
• D. Claviceps purpurea; rye; cold, wet conditions.

Answer: (A)

Fumonisins are mycotoxins produced by Fusarium species that primarily contaminate corn. The fungi involved are Fusarium moniliforme (now often called Fusarium verticillioides) and Fusarium proliferatum, which are common in maize infections. These toxins are favored by drought stress during the growing season, which weakens the plant and increases Fusarium colonization, followed by cool, wet conditions that promote fungal growth and accumulation of fumonisins in the kernels. White and yellow corn are the typical crops found to harbor these toxins, rather than peanuts, oats, or rye. In contrast, other foods and fungi are associated with different mycotoxins: aflatoxins from Aspergillus flavus in peanuts under humid tropical conditions; ochratoxin A from Penicillium verrucosum in cereals such as oats under different climates; and ergot alkaloids from Claviceps purpurea in rye under cold, wet conditions.