Biosynthesis of aflatoxins.

Abstract

Fifteen years have passed since the discovery of aflatoxin, the most potent hepatocarcinogen known. These years can best be described as the era of the "mycotoxin gold rush," which led to the discovery ofa large number ofmycotoxins. These mycotoxins have been tabulated and reviewed extensively (49, 57, 114, 149, 150, 179, 242, 243, 280, 280a, 321). In addition to the above monographs, a large number of reviews dealing with the various aspects of aflatoxin and other mycotoxins have appeared (13, 39, 50, 51, 55, 95, 99, 115, 142, 143, 152, 174, 183, 205, 212, 218, 239, 255, 265, 317, 322-326). Many symposia on aflatoxins and other mycotoxins have been held, and the proceedings have appeared either in book form or in various journals. Most of the reviews on aflatoxin mentioned above have not covered the biosynthesis of af-