Food Molds: Does Impairment of PGC-1a Contribute to Their Toxicity?

Background: PGC-1a is an important regulator of metabolism in different tissues including the muscle and liver and its expression may be of important significance in a variety of diseases including neurodegenerative diseases and diabetes and influences circadian rythyms.  In addition, its activities are directly influenced by a number of other proteins including AMPK and SIRT1.

Vomitoxin, also known as deoxynivalenol (DON) is a  mycotoxin found in different types of foodstuffs and can be associated with mycotoxicosis in both animals and humans.While its negative health effects are generally milder than other mycotoxins susceptible populations could be more at risk. Generally, this class of mycotoxins are proteins inhibitors and may alter expression of neurotransmitters such as serotonin which can lead to weight loss because of the anorexic effects of elevations of serotonin.  These changes may also influence normal activity of the respiratory tract. (Wipedia) According to a recent study and in-line with the DON's ability to negative influence protein expression, DON has been demonstrated to upregulate a known of repressor of PGC-1a in addition to other proteins.  This could explain why individuals ( or animals) with impaired antioxidant and immune systems, metabolic dysfunctions, or the aged may show more health effcts upon mold exposure. 


Osman, A. M., Pennings, J. L., Blokland, M., Peijnenburg, A., and van Loveren, H. (2010). Protein expression profiling of mouse thymoma cells upon exposure to the trichothecene deoxynivalenol (don): implications for its mechanism of action. Journal of immunotoxicology, 7(3):147-156. http://www.citeulike.org/user/HEIRS/article/7607619




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