Moniliformin is an unusual

mycotoxin A mycotoxin (from the Greek μύκης , "fungus" and τοξίνη , "toxin") is a toxic secondary metabolite produced by organisms of kingdom Fungi and is capable of causing disease and death in both humans and other animals. The term 'mycotoxin' ...

, a feed contaminant that is lethal to fowl, especially ducklings. Moniliformin is formed in many cereals by a number of ''

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 ...

'' species that include

Fusarium moniliforme ''Fusarium verticillioides'' is the most commonly reported fungal species infecting maize (''Zea mays''). ''Fusarium verticillioides'' is the accepted name of the species, which was also known as ''Fusarium moniliforme''. The species has also bee ...

Fusarium avenaceum ''Gibberella avenacea'' is a fungal plant pathogen Plant pathology (also phytopathology) is the scientific study of diseases in plants caused by pathogens (infectious organisms) and environmental conditions (physiological factors). Orga ...

, Fusarium subglutinans,

Fusarium proliferatum ''Fusarium proliferatum'' is a fungal A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are cl ...

Fusarium fujikuroi ''Gibberella fujikuroi'' is a fungal plant pathogen. It causes '' bakanae'' disease in rice seedlings. Another name is foolish seedling disease. It gets that name because the seeds can be infected, leading to disparate outcomes for the plant. T ...

and others. It is mainly cardiotoxic and causes

ventricular hypertrophy Ventricular hypertrophy (VH) is thickening of the walls of a ventricle (lower chamber) of the heart. Although left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is more common, right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH), as well as concurrent hypertrophy of both ventri ...

. Moniliformin actually causes competitive inhibition of the activity of

pyruvate dehydrogenase complex Pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) is a complex of three enzymes that converts pyruvate into acetyl-CoA by a process called pyruvate decarboxylation. Acetyl-CoA may then be used in the citric acid cycle to carry out cellular respiration, and t ...

of respiratory reaction, which prevents pyruvic acid, product of glycolysis, to convert to acetyl CoA. Ultrastructural examination of right ventricular wall of 9 month old female mink (''Mustela vison'') fed acute doses of moniliformin (2.2 and 2.8 mg/kg diet) and sub-acute doses (1.5 to 3.2 mg/kg diet) reveals significant damage to myofiber, mitochondria, Z and M lines and sarcoplasmic reticulum as well as increased extracellular collagen deposition. Mink is considered most sensitive mammals to the toxicity of moniliformin.Morgan MK, Fitzgerald SD, Rottinghaus GE, Bursian SJ and Aulerich RJ. 1999. Toxic effects to mink of moniliformin extracted from ''Fusarium fujikuroi'' culture material. ''Veterinary and Human Toxicology'' 1(1):pp-1-5 Chemically speaking, it is the sodium salt of

deoxy Deoxygenation is a chemical reaction involving the removal of oxygen atoms from a molecule. The term also refers to the removal of molecular oxygen (O2) from gases and solvents, a step in air-free technique and gas purifiers. As applied to orga ...

squaric acid Squaric acid, also called quadratic acid because its four carbon atoms approximately form a square, is a diprotic organic acid with the chemical formula C4O2(OH)2. The conjugate base of squaric acid is the hydrogensquarate anion ; and the conjug ...

Physicochemical information

IUPAC name: 3-hydroxy-3-cyclobutene-1,2-dione. Solubility information: Moniliformin is soluble in water and polar solvents, such as methanol.
λmax: 226, 259 in methanol

Sources and references

Mycotoxins Organic sodium salts Cyclobutenes Respiratory toxins Enols Ketones Organic acids {{organic-compound-stub

Physicochemical information

See also

Sources and references