T-2 mycotoxin
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (October 2008) |
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| Names | |
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| IUPAC name
(2α,3α,4β,8α)-4,15-bis(acetyloxy)-3-hydroxy-12,13-epoxytrichothec-9-en-8-yl 3-methylbutanoate
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| Other names
T-2 Toxin
Fusariotoxin T 2 Insariotoxin Mycotoxin T 2 | |
| Identifiers | |
3D model (JSmol)
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| ECHA InfoCard | 100.040.255 |
| RTECS number |
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CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
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| Properties | |
| C24H34O9 | |
| Molar mass | 466.527 g·mol−1 |
| Insoluble | |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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T-2 is a trichothecene mycotoxin, is a naturally-occurring mold byproduct of Fusarium spp fungus which is toxic to humans and animals. The clinical condition it causes is alimentary toxic aleukia and a host of symptoms related to organs as diverse as the skin, airway, and stomach. It is the only mycotoxin known to have been used as a biological weapon,[citation needed] but ingestion may come from moldy whole grains.
History
T-2 was discovered as a weapon by Russian scientists after a spring harvest delayed by World War II produced flour contaminated with Fusarium and distributed in bread.[citation needed] Many were sickened, some fatally. T-2 has also been suggested as a cause of the Plague of Athens (430 BC).[citation needed] T-2 is an infrequent contaminant in animal feed.
T-2 was proposed as a cause of Gulf War Syndrome for some United States troops exposed to a mortar shell shot by Iraqi forces during the Persian Gulf War and as the substance used to poison Viktor Yushchenko during his 2004 presidential election campaign (though doctors now believe it was dioxin).