Project description:Genomic DNA from five strains, Aspergillus fumigatus Af71, Aspergillus fumigatus Af294, Aspergillus clavatus, Neosartorya fenneliae, and Neosartorya fischeri, were co-hybridized with that of Aspergillus fumigatus Af293 and compared.
Project description:Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus are two of the most important aflatoxin-producing species that contaminate agricultural commodities worldwide. Both species are heterothallic and undergo sexual reproduction in laboratory crosses. Here, we examine the possibility of interspecific matings between A. flavus and A. parasiticus. These species can be distinguished morphologically and genetically, as well as by their mycotoxin profiles. Aspergillus flavus produces both B aflatoxins and cyclopiazonic acid (CPA), B aflatoxins or CPA alone, or neither mycotoxin; Aspergillus parasiticus produces B and G aflatoxins or the aflatoxin precursor O-methylsterigmatocystin, but not CPA. Only four out of forty-five attempted interspecific crosses between compatible mating types of A. flavus and A. parasiticus were fertile and produced viable ascospores. Single ascospore strains from each cross were isolated and were shown to be recombinant hybrids using multilocus genotyping and array comparative genome hybridization. Conidia of parents and their hybrid progeny were haploid and predominantly monokaryons and dikaryons based on flow cytometry. Multilocus phylogenetic inference showed that experimental hybrid progeny were grouped with naturally occurring A. flavus L strain and A. parasiticus. Higher total aflatoxin concentrations in some F1 progeny strains compared to midpoint parent aflatoxin levels indicate synergism in aflatoxin production; moreover, three progeny strains synthesized G aflatoxins that were not produced by the parents, and there was evidence of putative allopolyploidization in one strain. These results suggest that hybridization is an important diversifying force resulting in the genesis of novel toxin profiles in these agriculturally important species.
Project description:Using transcriptomics, the strain-specific metabolism was mapped for two whole-genome sequenced strains of Aspergillus niger Keywords: Strain comparison
Project description:The filamentous fungus Aspergillus oryzae is an important microbial cell factory for industrial production of useful enzymes, such as α-amylase. In order to optimize the industrial enzyme production process, there is a need to understand fundamental processes underlying protein production, here under how protein production links to metabolism through global regulatory structures. In this study, two α-amylase-producing strains of A. oryzae, a wild type strain and a transformant strain containing additional copies of the α-amylase gene, were characterized at a systematic level. Based on integrated analysis of ome-data together with genome-scale metabolic network and flux calculation, we identified key genes, key enzymes, key proteins, and key metabolites involved in the processes of protein synthesis and secretion, nucleotide metabolism, and amino acid metabolism that can be the potential targets for improving industrial protein production. Keywords: Two Aspergillus oryzae strains and two different carbon sources
Project description:To investigate the roles of epigenetic regulator homologs, heterochromatin protein 1 (HepA) and a putative methyltransferase (LaeA), in the citric acid produciton by Aspergillus luchuensis mut. kawachii, we constructed the ΔhepA and ΔlaeA strains. We then performed gene expression profiling analysis using data obtained from RNA-seq of Aspergillus luchuensis mut. kawachii control, ΔhepA, and ΔlaeA strains.