Fusarins are a class of mycotoxins produced mainly by fungi of the genus ''

Fusarium ''Fusarium'' is a large genus of filamentous fungi, part of a group often referred to as hyphomycetes, widely distributed in soil and associated with plants. Most species are harmless saprobes, and are relatively abundant members of the soil mi ...

'', which can infect agriculturally important crops such as wheat, barley, oats, rye, and corn. Chemically, they are

polyketide Polyketides are a class of natural products derived from a precursor molecule consisting of a chain of alternating ketone (or reduced forms of a ketone) and methylene groups: (-CO-CH2-). First studied in the early 20th century, discovery, biosynth ...

s that are also derived from amino acids. Some members of the class, particularly fusarin C, are

mutagenic In genetics, a mutagen is a physical or chemical agent that permanently changes genetic material, usually DNA, in an organism and thus increases the frequency of mutations above the natural background level. As many mutations can cause cancer i ...

. Examples: File:Fusarin A.svg, Fusarin A File:Fusarin C.svg, Fusarin C File:Fusarin D.svg, Fusarin D

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External links

* Mycotoxins Mutagens Polyketides Polyenes {{organic-compound-stub