Mycotoxins as adaptation factors to food related environments

•Mycotoxins have different biological functions.•Biosynthesis is regulated at different genetic levels.•Exchange of mycotoxin biosynthesis genes between strains or species occur.•A change of the habitat can result in different mycotoxin profiles.

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by food relevant fungi. Mycotoxins are a diverse group of metabolites with various chemical structures whose main common feature is their toxicity against humans or animals. That feature however is only due to the human perspective and is apparently not the biological reason for their biosynthesis. Most mutants in mycotoxin biosynthesis are able to grow under similar conditions than the wild type, which hamper the unraveling of the true biological reasons for mycotoxin production by the fungus. Certain possible reasons like their role as by-products in the metabolism, their activity as antibiotics to combat commensal microorganisms or their activity as protectants against predators have been discussed. Recent findings however points toward their accessory role in the adaptation to certain environments or stress conditions. An overview about the last aspect with emphasis on the adaptation to food environments is given.