Trichodiene: a committed intermediate and a chink in the armor of mycotoxigenic Fusariumspecies.

Trichothecenes, mycotoxins produced by some Fusarium species, threaten crop production, animal health, and food safety. Among them, deoxynivalenol (or vomitoxin) is a major contaminant of cereals targeted by resistance breeding and chemical or biological controls. Trichodiene, the volatile intermediate in the trichothecene biosynthesis pathway, reduces mycotoxin production and shows promise as a source of biocontrol. A pilot-scale fungal fermentation and purification method (W. T. Hay, N. D. Kemp, A. R. Payne, N. Rhoades,et al., Appl Environ Microbiol92:e01695-25, 2026,https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.01695-25)now enables in planta testing for its potential in suppressing fungal colonization and toxin accumulation in cereals.