[Fungal tremorogens].

Fungi capable of producing tremorgenic secondary metabolites represent species from taxonomically diverse and unrelated groups. These fungi are capable of contaminating a variety of agricultural commodities such as faragas, corn, silage, etc. Various animal diseases suspected or known to be caused by fungal tremorgens are paspalum staggers, ryegrass staggers, corn staggers, and Bermuda grass tremors. Other syndromes with probable involvement of fungal tremorgens were associated with corn silage contaminated with Aspergillus fumigatus and beer, cream cheese, a hamburger, and walnuts contaminated with Penicillium crustosum. The tremorgens involved in these syndromes (with the exception of the moldy silage) although produced by diversely unrelated fungi, contain the same basis biologically active chemical nucleus derived from geranylgeraniol and tryptophan. In some cases, such as A. flavus and Claviceps paspali, the tremorgens appear to be associated exclusively with the sclerotial stage (ergot).