Patulin is a mycotoxin produced by Penicillium species which often contaminates fruit and fruit-derived
products. In this work the degradation of patulin by the yeast Rhodosporidium paludigenum was studied
and the toxicity of the degradation product was determined. Patulin-degrading activity of R. paludigenum
was inducible by patulin; it was located within yeast cells and the enzyme did not require a dissociable
cofactor. Chromatographic behavior and molecular mass of the degradation product indicated that
R. paludigenum transformed patulin into desoxypatulinic acid. The degradation product was significantly
less toxic to Arabidopsis thaliana and human liver cells than patulin; it was not toxic to Escherichia coli at
the highest concentration tested. The detoxification activity of R. paludigenum toward patulin is a promising
tool for the control of patulin contamination in food and feed.