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Review
. 2019 Oct 10:10:2347.
doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02347. eCollection 2019.

Involvement of Ahr Pathway in Toxicity of Aflatoxins and Other Mycotoxins

Francisco Arenas-Huertero  1 , Montserrat Zaragoza-Ojeda  1 , Juana Sánchez-Alarcón  2 , Mirta Milić  3 , Maja Šegvić Klarić  4 , José M Montiel-González  2 , Rafael Valencia-Quintana  2
Affiliations
Review

Involvement of Ahr Pathway in Toxicity of Aflatoxins and Other Mycotoxins

Francisco Arenas-Huertero et al. Front Microbiol. .

Abstract

The purpose of this review is to present information about the role of activation of aflatoxins and other mycotoxins, of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) pathway. Aflatoxins and other mycotoxins are a diverse group of secondary metabolites that can be contaminants in a broad range of agricultural products and feeds. Some species of Aspergillus, Alternaria, Penicilium, and Fusarium are major producers of mycotoxins, some of which are toxic and carcinogenic. Several aflatoxins are planar molecules that can activate the AhR. AhR participates in the detoxification of several xenobiotic substances and activates phase I and phase II detoxification pathways. But it is important to recognize that AhR activation also affects differentiation, cell adhesion, proliferation, and immune response among others. Any examination of the effects of aflatoxins and other toxins that act as activators to AhR must consider the potential of the disruption of several cellular functions in order to extend the perception thus far about the toxic and carcinogenic effects of these toxins. There have been no Reviews of existing data between the relation of AhR and aflatoxins and this one attempts to give information precisely about this dichotomy.

Keywords: AFB1; Alternaria; Aspergillus; CYP1A1; alternariol (AOH).

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Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Molecular structures of several aflatoxins.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Molecular structures of several Alternaria mycotoxins: alternariol (AOH), alternariol monomethyl ether (AME), altenuene (ALT); the perylene derivatives altertoxins (ATX-I, -II, -III); and the tetramic acid derivatives, tenuazonic acid (TeA).
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Molecular structure of fumonisin B1.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Molecular structure of ochratoxin A.
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 5
Molecular structure of patulin.
FIGURE 6
FIGURE 6
Activation of AhR pathway by mycotoxins (Myctx). (A) The AhR is a protein that interacts with hsp90, AIP, and p23 proteins in cytoplasm. (B) Under activation by Myctx, the transcription of phase I and phase II genes is started in order to metabolize and detoxify. It is not proved if the Myctx are ligands/agonists of AhR, which is indicated by a question mark (?). (C) This activation can also start transcription of several genes such as those involved in cell differentiation, adhesion, proliferation and immune response, but in the case of Myctx these have to be proved if it is performed as ligands/agonists (?).
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