Abstract
The production of deepoxy metabolites of the trichothecene mycotoxins T-2 toxin and diacetoxyscirpenol, including deepoxy HT-2 (DE HT-2), deepoxy T-2 triol, deepoxy T-2 tetraol, deepoxy 15-monoacetoxyscirpenol, and deepoxy scirpentriol is described. The metabolites were prepared by in vitro fermentation with bovine rumen microorganisms under anaerobic conditions and purified by normal and reverse-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography. Capillary gas chromatographic retention times and mass spectra of the derivatized metabolites were obtained. The deepoxy metabolites were significantly less toxic to brine shrimp than were the corresponding epoxy analogs. Polyclonal and monoclonal T-2 antibodies were examined for cross-reactivity to several T-2 metabolites. Both HT-2 and DE HT-2 cross-reacted with mouse immunoglobulin monoclonal antibody 15H6 to a greater extent than did T-2 toxin. Rabbit polyclonal T-2 antibodies displayed greater specificity to T-2 toxin compared with the monoclonal antibody, with relative cross-reactivities of only 17.4, 14.6, and 9.2% for HT-2, DE HT-2, and deepoxy T-2 triol, respectively. Cross-reactivity of both antibodies was weak for T-2 triol, T-2 tetraol, 3'OH T-2, and 3'OH HT-2.