Differential Control of Asexual Development and Sterigmatocystin Biosynthesis by a Novel Regulator in Aspergillus nidulans.

ABSTRACT: The filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans primarily reproduces by forming asexual spores called conidia and produces the mycotoxin sterigmatocystin (ST), the penultimate precursor of aflatoxins. It has been known that asexual development and ST production are tightly co-regulated by various regulatory inputs. Here, we report that the novel regulator AslA with a C₂H₂ domain oppositely regulates development and ST biosynthesis. Nullifying aslA resulted in defective conidiation and reduced expression of brlA encoding a key activator of asexual development, which indicates that AslA functions as an upstream activator of brlA expression. aslA deletion additionally caused enhanced ST production and expression of aflR encoding a transcriptional activator for ST biosyntheti

SUBMITTER: Kim YJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5396049 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature