AgriMyc

Phylum	Class	Order	Family	Genus	Species/Subspecies

Species/Subspecies:

Fusarium venenatum

Category:

Of practical use

Etymology:

Genus name: spindle.
Species epithet: poisonous.

Common name:

Quorn

Significance:

The mycoprotein quorn is extracted from F. venenatum strain AT/5, and is processed into a food, called Quorn.
[Very important]

Geographic distribution:

The fungus has a global presence.

Taxonomy:

Phylum	Class	Order	Family	Genus
Ascomycota	Sordariomycetes	Hypocreales	Nectriaceae	Fusarium

Macromorphology (smell):

Soil

Note that disease can only occur after consumption of unprocessed F. venenatum.

Genome Sequence:

ACC-No GenBank	Strain/Isolate	# of chrom	Size (Mbp)
GCF_900007375	A3/5	6	38.7

Mitochondrial DNA sequence:

ACC-No GenBank	Strain/Isolate	Number of BP
NW_020311997	A3/5	78 612

Linear DNA

18S rRNA Seq:

ACC-No GenBank	Strain/Isolate	Number of NT	Ref
AY188922	?	1130	# 57

Partial sequence

ITS regions:

Taxonomy/phylogeny:

Fusarium is a very large genus of filamenteous fungi. About 1000 species within seven major clades have been identified.

Comment:

Quorn is marketed as a food for vegetarians, but not vegans because egg whites are used as a binder in the final product. In order for quorn to be used as food, the large amount of RNA must be removed, as uric acid is formed when RNA is broken down in the body. Too much uric acid in the body can result in gout and kidney stones.

Reference(s):

No. 46

Updated:

2021-09-02