• BMB Reports
• /
• v.34 no.5
• /
• pp.428-433
• /
• 2001

A defect in uvsC of Aspergillus nidulans caused high methyl methansulfonate (MMS)-sensitivity, hyporecombination, and a lack of UV induced mutation. The uvsC gene of Aspergillus nidulans shares a sequence similarity with the RAD51 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In this study, in vitro and in vivo tests were conducted in order to determine whether or not the UVSC protein had functional similarities to RAD51, the recombination enzyme in yeast. The purified recombinant UVSC protein, following expression in Escherichia coli, showed binding activity to single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), when both ATP and magnesium are present. In addition, ATPase activity was also demonstrated and its activity was stimulated in the presence of ssDNA. The UVSC protein that was expressed under the ADH promoter in S. cerevisiae suppressed in part the sensitivity to MMS of the rad51 null mutant. Similarly, when the uvsC cDNA was expressed from the nmt promoter, the MMS sensitivity of the rhp51 null mutant of Schizosaccharomyces pombe was partially complemented. These results indicate that the A. nidulans UVSC protein is a functional homologue of the RAD51 protein.

• Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.39 no.1
• /
• pp.74-78
• /
• 2001

The transcription of the chitin synthase genes (chss) was cell cycle-regulated in Aspergillus nidulans and the expression pattern was classified into two groups. Group one, containing chsA and chsC, showed decreasing transcription level upon entry into the S-phase and no further variation during the remainder of the cell cycle. However, group two, containing chsB, chsD, and csmA showed a sharp decrease of mRNA level upon entry into the G2-phase and an increase during the M-phase. Our results suggested that the chss, belonging to same group with the similar expression pattern during the cell cycle are functionally linked and that chsD may play a role in hyphal growth and development in A. nidulans.

• Mycobiology
• /
• v.30 no.3
• /
• pp.117-127
• /
• 2002

Cleistothecial development in Aspergillus nidulans(teleomorph, Emericella nidulans) was examined with the transmission electron microscopy. Cleistothecial initial was a small coiled lump of cells, ca. 6 ${\mu}m$ in diameter, which was consisted of a slightly swollen core with a short "tail" hypha. Initials were wrapped with a loose layer of hyphae. Core cells of cleistothecial initials were broad and multinucleated at first, then formed dikaryotic ascogenous cells, followed by post-meiotic tetra-nucleate or octa-nucleate protoasci and finally mature ascospores. Croziers were formed early during cleistothecium development. The peridial layer of mature cleistothecia was derived from the wrapping hyphae which originally invested the young cleistothecium. Completion of peridial layers development was associated with the depositing of a non-enzyme reactive material around peridial cells. $H\ddot{u}lle$ cell formation during the cleistothecial development appeared to be somewhat coordinated with the developmental stages of cleistothecium.

• Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.37 no.2
• /
• pp.51-58
• /
• 1999

Using yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and the integrate vector system, we have isolated and characterized an autonomously replicating sequence (ARS) from Aspergillus nidulans. The DNA fragment, designated ANR1, is 5.0 kb in size and maintained free from the chromosome in S. cerevisiae. The YIplac211-ANR1 recombinant plasmid, which consists of sequences derived from the yeast integrative vector YIplac211 and 5.0 kb ANR1 fragment, showed a 104-fold enhancement in transformation efficiency over that found for YIplac211, and was easily recovered from the transformed yeast. Genetic analysis of transformants showed that YIplac21-ANR1 could be over 96% cured when cultured over 20 generations in complete medium and thus suggests that this sequence is mitotically unstable. In A. nidulans, recombinant plasmid PILJ16-4.5 which carries the 4.5 kb EcoRI fragment of ANR1 showed a 170-fold enhancement in transformation efficiency compared to that of the integrative vector PILJ16.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
• /
• v.10 no.6
• /
• pp.1287-1291
• /
• 2009

The genes of cyanide hydratase(CHT), a kind of nitrilases whichhydrolyze cyanide to formamide were extracted from N. crassa and A. nidulans, the two fungal strains. The recombinant forms of the CHT originated from N. crassa and A. nidulans were prepared with N-terminal hexahistidine purificationtags or no tags, and expressed in E. coli. The enzymes were purified using immobilized metal affinity chromatography. They were compared according to their pH activity profiles, and kinetic parameters. The N. crassa CHT has the wider pH range of activity above 50% and three-fold higher turnover rate (6.6 ${\times}$ $10^8$ $min^{-1}$) than the A. nidulans, meanwhile the CHT of A. nidulans has the higher $K_m$ value. Expression of CHT in both N. crassa and A. nidulans were induced by the presence of KCN, regardless of any presence of nitrogen sources. Max. 82% of KCN was degraded in 60 min for biological degradation tests.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
• /
• v.46 no.4
• /
• pp.511-518
• /
• 2018

Initiation of spore germination in filamentous fungi such as Aspergillus nidulans and Botrytis cinerea requires the presence of nutrients. In this study, involvement of sugar sensing machinery was suggested in the germination of A. nidulans spores. Germination did not occur when the spores of A. nidulans were incubated in distilled water, whereas they were successfully germinated in the presence of 5% glucose with a germination rate of over 98% after 6hr incubation. Similar results were obtained when the spores were incubated in the presence of various sugars such as fructose, sucrose, and starch. Interestingly, spore germination was not observed in the presence of D-arabinose, whereas L-arabinose could induce germination as determined by the formation of germ tubes, indicating the presence of sugar sensing machinery that distinguish between the enantiomers of sugars. This inference was further supported by a decrease in germination rate (less than 25%) upon treatment of spores with trypsin. Subsequent MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry analysis of the surface proteins of spores identified ten proteins among which eight were involved in sugar metabolism. Taken together, our results suggest that spore germination in A. nidulans is initiated by the interaction of sugars with sugar binding proteins on the surface of spores.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.57-65
• /
• 1989

The effect of various cellulosic and hemicellulosic substrates on the induction of cellulase and xylanase complexes in Aapergillus nidulans was investigated. The most efficient substrates for the induction of cellulase and xylanase complexes were carboxymethylcellulose for endoglucanase, cellobiose for ${\beta}-glucosidase$, and xylan for endoxylanase and ${\beta}-xylosidase$, respectively. However, the mixtures of these substrates, especially CMC-xylan and CMC-xylan-laminarin mixture, were much more effective not only for the enhancement of the biosynthesis of all the cellulase and xylanase complexes but also for the balanced production of these enzyme components than individual substrate. The polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by activity staining showed the variation in the patterns and relative intensity of ${\beta}-glucosidase$, endoglucanase and endoxylanase components in individual enzyme preparations from A. nidulans cultures grown on different substrates. These results suggest that the biosynthesis is of cellulase and xylanase systems in A. nidulans is regulated in coordination at the level of induction.

• 한국균학회소식:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2014.10a
• /
• pp.15-15
• /
• 2014

Fusarium graminearum (teleomorph Gibberella zeae) is an important plant pathogen that causes head blight of major cereal crops such as wheat, barley, and rice, as well as causing ear and stalk rot on maize worldwide. Plant diseases caused by this fungus lead to severe yield losses and accumulation of harmful mycotoxins in infected cereals [1]. Fungi utilize spore production as a mean to rapidly avoid unfavorable environmental conditions and to amplify their population. Spores are produced sexually and asexually and their production is precisely controlled. Upstream developmental activators consist of fluffy genes have been known to orchestrate early induction of condiogenesis in a model filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans. To understand the molecular mechanisms underlying conidiogenesis in F. graminearum, we characterized functions of the F. graminearum fluffy gene homologs [2]. We found that FlbD is conserved regulatory function for conidiogenesis in both A. nidulans and F. graminearum among five fluffy gene homologs. flbD deletion abolished conidia and perithecia production, suggesting that FlbD have global roles in hyphal differentiation processes in F. graminearum. We further identified and functionally characterized the ortholog of AbaA, which is involved in differentiation from vegetative hyphae to conidia and known to be absent in F. graminearum [3]. Deletion of abaA did not affect vegetative growth, sexual development, or virulence, but conidium production was completely abolished and thin hyphae grew from abnormally shaped phialides in abaA deletion mutants. Overexpression of abaA resulted in pleiotropic defects such as impaired sexual and asexual development, retarded conidium germination, and reduced trichothecene production. AbaA localized to the nuclei of phialides and terminal cells of mature conidia. Successful interspecies complementation using A. nidulans AbaA and the conserved AbaA-WetA pathway demonstrated that the molecular mechanisms responsible for AbaA activity are conserved in F. graminearum as they are in A. nidulans. F. graminearum ortholog of Aspergillus nidulans wetA has been shown to be involved in conidiogenesis and conidium maturation [4]. Deletion of F. graminearum wetA did not alter mycelial growth, sexual development, or virulence, but the wetA deletion mutants produced longer conidia with fewer septa, and the conidia were sensitive to acute stresses, such as oxidative stress and heat stress. Furthermore, the survival rate of aged conidia from the F. graminearum wetA deletion mutants was reduced. The wetA deletion resulted in vigorous generation of single-celled conidia through autophagy-dependent microcycle conidiation, indicating that WetA functions to maintain conidia dormancy by suppressing microcycle conidiation in F. graminearum. In A. nidulans, FlbB physically interacts with FlbD and FlbE, and the resulting FlbB/FlbE and FlbB/FlbD complexes induce the expression of flbD and brlA, respectively. BrlA is an activator of the AbaA-WetA pathway. AbaA and WetA are required for phialide formation and conidia maturation, respectively [5]. In F. graminearum, the AbaA-WetA pathway is similar to that of A. nidulans, except a brlA ortholog does not exist. Amongst the fluffy genes, only fgflbD has a conserved role for regulation of the AbaA-WetA pathway.

• KSBB Journal
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.38-45
• /
• 1995

The expression of Aspergillus nidulans glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (gpdA) and trpC promoters in A. oryzae were compared using E. coli lacZ gents fusions. The specific activities of the expressed E. coli $\beta$-galactosidase in A. oryzae transformants containing the A. nidulans gpdA promoter were around 2,000 units per ug of protein. The specific activities of transformants containing the A. nidulans trpC promoter were very low, ranging from 10.5 to 52.3 units per ug of protein. These results showed that the expression of the A. nidulans gpdA promoter in A. oryzae was approximately 70 times greater than the A. nidulans trpC promoter. In western blot analysis, immunoreactive bands of a imlilar molecular weight as the E. coli $\beta$-galactosidase were observed in A. oryzae carrying the gpdA-lacZ fusion and to a lesser intensity in those carrying the tvpC-lacZ fusion. Southern analysis showed that the higher expression of the gpdA-lacZ fusion as compared to the trpC-lacZ fusion was not due a greater number of integrated plasmids.

• Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.39 no.2
• /
• pp.102-108
• /
• 2001

DNA damage response has a central role in the maintenance of genomic integrity while mutations in related genes may result in a range of disorders including neoplasic formations. The uvsZl characterized in this report is a navel uvs mutation in Aspergillus nidulans, resulting in a nucleotide excision repair (NER) phenotype: UV-sensitivity before DNA synthesis (quiescent cells), high UV-induced mutation frequency and probable absence of involvement with mitotic and meiotic recombinations. The mutation is recessive and nan-allelic to the previously characterized uvsA101 mutation, also located on the paba-y interval on chromosome I. uvsZl skewed wild-type sensitivity to MMS, which suggests non-involvement of this mutation with BER. Epitasis tests showed that the uvsZ gene product is probably involved in the same repair pathways as UVSB or UVSH proteins. Although mutations in these proteins result in an NER phenotype, UVSB is related with cell cycle control and UVSH is associated with the post-replicational repair pathway. The epistatic interaction among uvsZl and uvsB413 and uvsH77 mutations indicates that different repair systems may be related with the common steps of DNA damage response in Aspergillus nidulans.