Biodegradation of T-2 Toxin by a Dominant Microbial Consortium Isolated From Chinese Yeast Ball

Abstract

T-2 toxin is a highly toxic type A trichothecene mycotoxin commonly found in feed, agricultural products like wheat, corn, and barley, as well as processed foods, presenting substantial health hazards to both humans and animals. In this study, a microbial consortium (designated as BJ) with stable and efficient T-2 toxin degradation activity was isolated from Chinese yeast balls, a traditional Chinese fermentation starter. The consortium was dominated by species of Wickerhamomyces, Pichia, and Pediococcus. This BJ consortium demonstrated the ability to degrade 99.2% of the T-2 toxin to HT-2 toxin, T-2 triol, and T-2 tetraol within 48 h, outperforming individual strains. Metagenomic sequencing and LC-MS/MS metabolic analysis elucidated the degradation pathway, which includes deacetylation and de-epoxidation of the epoxy group, with the cytochrome P450 enzyme CYP61 in Wickerhamomyces ciferrii playing a key role in detoxification. The study highlights the potential of the BJ consortium as a natural agent for T-2 toxin detoxification in the feed and food industry, though further research is warranted to assess its real-world application and safety.