Growth, zearalenone production and some metabolic activities of Fusarium moniliforme under salt stress.

With a increasing salinity, a decrease in the growth rate of Fusarium moniliforme was observed. The percentage of germinated conidia decreased with increasing salinity (% germination ranged from 80.3% at 0.0% NaCl to 0.0% at 15% NaCl). Concentration of 12.5% NaCl produced the highest chlamydospore-like structures. Concentration of 5% NaCl increased zearalenone production which decreased with increasing salt stress. Escherichia coli was more tolerant to the toxin than Bacillus subtilis. The total amount of lipids produced by F. moniliforme changed with increasing the concentration of NaCl in the growth medium. The genomic DNA of the control and treated samples showed a common band of more than 20 kilobases. Similar RAPD-PCR patterns were also produced.