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. 2021 Apr 13;12:643639. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.643639

TABLE 1.

Modulation of host defences by mycotoxins, peptide, and protein toxins.

Toxin Function References
Gliotoxin • Induces apoptosis (macrophages/dendritic cells/monocytes/eosinophils)
• Inhibits phagocytic function (macrophages/neutrophils)
• Induces ROS production (macrophages)
• Cytoskeletal remodelling (macrophages)
• Inhibits formation of lamellipodia (macrophages)
• Inhibits cytokine production (macrophages/dendritic cells/monocytes/eosinophils)
• Inhibits activation (neutrophils)
• Inhibits filopodia production (neutrophils)
• Induces F-actin reorganisation (neutrophils)
• Reduces ROS production (neutrophils)
• Inhibits NADPH oxidative burst (neutrophils)
Mullbacher and Eichner, 1984
Waring et al., 1988
Suen et al., 2001
Levin et al., 2015
Schlam et al., 2016
Orciuolo et al., 2007
Coméra et al., 2007
Tsunawaki et al., 2004
Stanzani et al., 2005
Fujihara et al., 2002
Johannessen et al., 2005

Aflatoxins • Inhibits phagocytosis (macrophages)
• Inhibits NO production (macrophages)
• Induces cell cycle arrest (macrophages)
• Induces formation of METs
• Inhibits intracellular ROS (high dose: neutrophils)
• Induces intracellular ROS (macrophages/neutrophils)
• Inhibits chemotactic responses (neutrophils)
• Inhibits intracellular killing of pathogens (neutrophils)
• Induces cytokine expression (2 h: dendritic cells)
• Reduces phagocytic ability (12 h: dendritic cells)
• Inhibits T-cell activation (12 h: dendritic cells)
• Reduces TEER (epithelial cells)
• Reduces expression of tight junction proteins (epithelial cells)
• Increases paracellular permeability (epithelial cells)
Stanzani et al., 2005
Orciuolo et al., 2007
Bianco et al., 2012
An et al., 2017
Mehrzad et al., 2020
Ubagai et al., 2008
Mehrzad et al., 2011
Mohammadi et al., 2014
Mehrzad et al., 2014
Caloni et al., 2012
Gao et al., 2017

Ochratoxin • Inhibits IL-1α/TNF-α production in vivo (macrophages)
• Cell cycle arrest and induction of apoptotic genes (macrophages)
• Induces IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α in vitro (macrophages)
• Induces necrosis (neutrophils)
• Reduces NO production (neutrophils)
• Reduces chemotactic responses (macrophages/neutrophils)
• Reduces phagocytic responses (neutrophils)
• Reduces TEER (epithelial cells)
• Inhibits expression of tight junction proteins (epithelial cells)
Dhuley, 1997
Brennan et al., 2017
Müller et al., 1995
Kupski et al., 2016
Richetti et al., 2005
McLaughlin et al., 2004
Wang et al., 2017

Fumonisin • Induces apoptosis (macrophages)
• Inhibits phagocytic ability (macrophages)
• Inhibits expression and secretion of cytokines (macrophages)
• Inhibits maturation (dendritic cells)
Grenier et al., 2011
Qureshi and Hagler, 1992
Liu et al., 2002
Devriendt et al., 2010

T-2 • Induces apoptosis (macrophages)
• Inhibits NO production (macrophages)
• Inhibits oxidative burst (macrophages)
• Inhibits secretion of inflammatory cytokines (macrophages)
• Induces formation of balloon-like protrusions (BLPs: mice)
• Induces cell death (dendritic cells/monocytes)
• Inhibits maturation and activation (dendritic cells)
• Inhibits differentiation (monocytes)
Seeboth et al., 2012
Hymery et al., 2009
Chikina et al., 2020
Hymery et al., 2006

Deoxynivalenol • Induces release of cytokines (macrophages/neutrophils/epithelial cells)
• Induces apoptosis (macrophages/neutrophils)
• Reduces chemotactic response (neutrophils)
• Reduces TEER and tight junction protein expression (epithelial cells)
• Induces Th17 immune response (epithelial cells)
• Induces colitis-like symptoms in rats
He et al., 2013
Moon and Pestka, 2002
Chung et al., 2003
Islam et al., 2006
Marzocco et al., 2009
Sugiyama et al., 2016
Gauthier et al., 2013
Pinton et al., 2010
Cano et al., 2013
Payros et al., 2020

Patulin • Inhibits expression and secretion of cytokines (macrophages)
• Inhibits intracellular killing of fungi (macrophages)
• Induces apoptosis (macrophages/epithelial cells)
• Inhibits NO production (macrophages)
• Induces mitochondrial dysfunction and mitophagy (macrophages)
• Reduces TEER (epithelial cells)
• Inhibits expression of ZO-1 (epithelial cells)
• Inhibits ZO-1 and claudin-4 production (epithelial cells)
Oh et al., 2015
Bourdiol et al., 1990
Tsai et al., 2016
Luft et al., 2008
Assunção et al., 2016
Kawauchiya et al., 2011

Zearalenone • Induces inflammatory cytokines (macrophages/epithelial cells)
• Inhibits protein/DNA synthesis (epithelial cells)
• Induces apoptosis (macrophages/epithelial cells)
• Activates inflammasome (epithelial cells)
• Induces colitis-like symptoms in mice
Abid-Essefi et al., 2003
Kouadio et al., 2005
Pestka and Zhou, 2006
Fan et al., 2017
Fan et al., 2018

Candidalysin • Induces NLRP3 inflammasome activation (macrophages)
• Damages plasma membranes (epithelial cells)
• Induces release of cytokines (epithelial cells/neutrophils/macrophages)
• Induces calcium influx (epithelial cells)
• Induces EGFR activation (epithelial cells)
Kasper et al., 2018
Verma et al., 2017
Moyes et al., 2016
Ho et al., 2019

Mucoricin • Inhibits protein synthesis (N-glycosylase activity)
• Induces hypovolemic shock in mice
• Causes apoptosis and necrosis (murine lung and liver tissue)
Soliman et al., 2021