• Journal of Microbiology
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• 제40권3호
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• pp.230-233
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• 2002

Effects of short-chain primary amines on Aspergillus nidulans development were analyzed. Propylamine induced asexual development and inhibited sexual development. Even on medium containing lactose as the sole carbon source, on which little conidial heads are formed and sexual structures are formed preferentially, or when sexual development was induced, propylamine induced asexual development and inhibited sexual development. These effects of propylamine seemed to be due to accumulation of mRNA of the brlA gene, which has been identified as a positive regulator of asexual development, and due to the reduction of the veA mRNA level. The veA gene has been identified as an activator of sexual development and also as an inhibitor of asexual development. Other primary amines, methylamine and ethylamine, showed identical effects on development where short-chain primary amino also promoted asexual development and inhibited sexual development.

• 한국균학회지
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• 제22권4호
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• pp.332-337
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• 1994

Under standard condition (Han, et al., 1990: glucose 1%-nitrate 0.1% minimal medium, 30 ml in 9 cm plate, $10^6$ cells of inoculum per plate), wild type of Aspergillus nidulans developed both sexual and asexual organs in ballance, while velA1 mutant developed asexual ones preferentially. Increase of glucose concentration did not significantly affect the asexual sporulation. However, development of sexual organs were largely affected. It was greatly enhanced when favorable nitrogen source, for example, casein hydrolysate was added, which is contrary to the case of Neurospora or Saccharomyces where limitation of N source induces sexual development. On most of moderate C sources asexual development in $velA^+$ strain was largely inhibited except acetate on which only asexual spores were produced, while that in velA1 mutant strain was not affected. Lactose promoted the sexual development even in velA1 mutant indicating that lactose itself or its metabolic intermediate may induce sexual development independent of allelic state of velA gene. On other moderate favorable C sources, glycerol, galactose and ethanol, asexual development was largely inhibited in $velA^+$ strain but not in velA1 mutant strain. Sexual organs were, however, never produced on acetate. These results suggested that asexual development of wild type is largely dependent on C sources and the velA gene is involved in the repression of asexual development in not-enough-grown (non-competent) thalli resulting in preferential progression of sexual development.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• 제41권1호
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• pp.34-40
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• 2003

Aspergillus nidulans, a homothalic ascomycete, has a complete sexual reproductive cycle as well as an asexual one. Both sexual and asexual development are known to be genetically programmed, but are also strongly affected by environmental factors including nutrients, light, temperature and osmolarity. We have examined these factors to define favored conditions for fruiting body (cleistothecium) formation. In general, fruiting body formation was enhanced where carbon and nitrogen sources were sufficient. Limitation of C-source caused predominant asexual development while inhibiting sexual development. When higher concentrations of glucose were supplied, more cleistothecia were formed. Other carbon sources including lactose, galactose and glycerol made the fungus develop cleistothecia very well, whereas acetate caused asexual sporulation only. Organic nitrogen sources like casein hydrolysate and glycine, and an increase in nitrate or ammonium concentration also enhanced sexual development. In addition to nutrient effects, low levels of aerobic respiration, caused either by platesealing or treatment with various chemicals, favored sexual development. Carbon limitation, light exposure and a high concentration of salts promoted asexual development preferentially, suggesting that stress conditions may drive the cell to develop asexual sporulation while comfortable and wellnourished growth conditions favored sexual development.

• 한국균학회지
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• 제18권4호
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• pp.225-232
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• 1990

몇몇 배양조건이 유성 또는 무성분화에 미치는 영향을 조사하여, 유성분화 결손 돌연변이주를 분리하기 위한 효율적인 조건을 찾고자 하였다. 무성분화는 억제하며, 유성분화는 촉진시키는 여러조건중 Casein hydrolysate를 첨가한 최소배지에 밀봉 배양하는 것이 가장 효율적인 조건으로 선택되었다. 접종 후 20시간 이전에 밀봉하고 계속 배양하면, 유 무성분화 모두가 억제되나, 밀봉 후 20시간 정도 후에 밀봉을 해제하면 유성분화만이 진행되었다. 이러한 성질을 이용하여 유성분화과정에 이상이 일어난 돌연변이주를 대랑 분리해 냈었으며, 이들의 분화양상에 따라 크게 3 group : NSD(never in sexual development), BSD(block in sexual development), ASD(abnormal in sexual development)으로 분류하였다. NSD 돌연변이주는 $H{\ddot{u}}lle$ cell이나 cleistothecia 등의 유성생식기관을 전혀 생성하지 못하였고, BSD 돌연변이주는 $H{\ddot{u}}lle$ cell, cleistothecia, crozier, asci 또는 ascospore 형성 중 어느 과정에서 중단되어 분화가 끝가지 진행되지 못하였으며, ASD 돌연변이주는 유성분화의 최종단계가지 진행은 되지만 유성생식 기관의 생성시기나 양이 야생형과 현저하게 차이를 보였다.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제33권11호
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• pp.1420-1427
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• 2023

The forkhead domain genes are important for development and morphogenesis in fungi. Six forkhead genes fkhA-fkhF have been found in the genome of the model filamentous Ascomycete Aspergillus nidulans. To identify the fkh gene(s) associated with fungal development, we examined mRNA levels of these six genes and found that the level of fkhB and fkhD mRNA was significantly elevated during asexual development and in conidia. To investigate the roles of FkhB and FkhD, we generated fkhB and fkhD deletion mutants and complemented strains and investigated their phenotypes. The deletion of fkhB, but not fkhD, affected fungal growth and both sexual and asexual development. The fkhB deletion mutant exhibited decreased colony size with distinctly pigmented (reddish) asexual spores and a significantly lower number of conidia compared with these features in the wild type (WT), although the level of sterigmatocystin was unaffected by the absence of fkhB. Furthermore, the fkhB deletion mutant produced sexual fruiting bodies (cleistothecia) smaller than those of WT, implying that the fkhB gene is involved in both asexual and sexual development. In addition, fkhB deletion reduced fungal tolerance to heat stress and decreased trehalose accumulation in conidia. Overall, these results suggest that fkhB plays a key role in proper fungal growth, development, and conidial stress tolerance in A. nidulans.

• 한국균학회소식:학술대회논문집
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• 한국균학회 2014년도 춘계학술대회 및 임시총회
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• pp.39-39
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• 2014

In a homothallic filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans, sexual and asexual developments are largely affected by the genetic and environmental factors. To regulate the complex subsets of genes involved in the developmental processes accurately, tight regulations of transcription factors are required. The forkhead type transcription factors are the class of regulators that function in a broad spectrum of cellular and developmental processes in many species from yeast to human. Here, we identified the fkhA and fkhB genes that encode a conserved forkhead transcription factors. The fkhA deletion resulted in the complete loss of fruiting body formation under all conditions favoring sexual development, suggesting that the fkhA gene is required for sexual development in A. nidulans. Overexpression of fkhA resulted in enhanced formation of fruiting bodies under induction condition not only in the normal condition but also in the condition of presence of 0.6 M KCl, which strongly inhibits sexual development. To know the function of the fkhB gene, we also generated fkhB knock-out strain in A. nidulans. Deletion of fkhB resulted in abnormal conidiophore formation under standard conditions and delayed sexual development process, suggesting that the fkhB gene plays an important role in conidiophore morphogenesis Taken together, these results suggest that the fkhA gene is necessary and sufficient for regulating sexual development and the fkhB gene is a transcription factor related in asexual developmental process in A. nidulans.

• 한국균학회지
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• 제41권3호
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• pp.192-196
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• 2013

진균의 분화과정은 다양한 환경요인에 의하여 영향을 받는다. 모델 사상성 진균인 Aspergillus nidulans의 경우 빛이 존재하거나 높은 염 농도, 비 발효성 당에 의하여 무성분화가 촉진되며 반대로 빛이 없거나 발효성 당이 풍부할 때, 그리고 저산소 조건일 경우 유성분화를 촉진하게 된다. 또한 veA나 nsdD와 같은 유성생식 양성조절유전자들도 유성분화를 유도하는 것으로 알려져 있다. 본 연구에서는 A. nidulans에서 $CO_2$의 농도와 분화패턴의 관계를 알아보고자 하였다. 정상적인 조건에서 $veA^+$ 야생형 균주는 유성생식과 무성생식이 균형을 이룬 상태의 분화를 진행하게 된다. 그러나 5% 정도의 높은 $CO_2$ 조건에서 배양하였을 경우 무성분화는 일어나지 않고 유성생식으로만 분화과정이 일어나게 된다. 뿐만 아니라 이러한 분화 양상은 veA와 nsdD에 의존적으로 일어나게 된다. 고농도의 $CO_2$ 조건이라 할지라도 $veA^-$ 혹은 $nsdD^-$ 돌연변이 균주에서는 유성분화는 일어나지 않고 무성분화만이 일어나는 것을 관찰할 수 있었는데, 이는 $CO_2$ 농도가 높아져도 유성생식에 있어서 이들 유전자의 기능이 필요하다는 것을 시사한다. 또한 5% $CO_2$ 조건은 인간 병원성 진균에게 있어서 사람의 신체 내에 살아남기 위하여 적응하여야 하는 대기 조건으로, 이러한 A. nidulans의 $CO_2$ 농도에 따른 분화양상의 변화는 A. fumigatus와 같은 인간 병원균의 생리, 분화적 변화에 대한 비교분석에 사용될 수 있다.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제31권5호
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• pp.676-685
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• 2021

RNA-binding proteins are involved in RNA metabolism and posttranscriptional regulation of various fundamental biological processes. The PUF family of RNA-binding proteins is highly conserved in eukaryotes, and its members regulate gene expression, mitochondrial biogenesis, and RNA processing. However, their biological functions in Aspergillus species remain mostly unknown in filamentous fungi. Here we have characterized the puf genes in the model organism Aspergillus nidulans. We generated deletion mutant strains for the five putative puf genes present in the A. nidulans genome and investigated their developmental phenotypes. Deletion of pufA or pufE affected fungal growth and asexual development. pufA mutants exhibited decreased production of asexual spores and reduced mRNA expression of genes regulating asexual development. The pufE deletion reduced colony growth, increased formation of asexual spores, and delayed production of sexual fruiting bodies. In addition, the absence of pufE reduced both sterigmatocystin production and the mRNA levels of genes in the sterigmatocystin cluster. Finally, pufE deletion mutants showed reduced trehalose production and lower resistance to thermal stress. Overall, these results demonstrate that PufA and PufE play roles in the development and sterigmatocystin metabolism in A. nidulans.

• Mycobiology
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• 제37권3호
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• pp.171-182
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• 2009

Many aspergilli that belongs to ascomycetes have sexuality. In a homothallic or self-fertile fungus, a number of fruiting bodies or cleistothecia are formed in a thallus grown from a single haploid conidia or ascospores. Genome-sequencing project revealed that two mating genes (MAT) encoding the regulatory proteins that are necessary for controlling partner recognition in heterothallic fungi were conserved in most aspergilli. The MAT gene products in some self-fertile species were not required for recognition of mating partner at pheromone-signaling stage but required at later stages of sexual development. Various environmental factors such as nutritional status, culture conditions and several stresses, influence the decision or progression of sexual reproduction. A large number of genes are expected to be involved in sexual development of Emericella nidulans (anamorph: Aspergillus nidulans), a genetic and biological model organism in aspergilli. The sexual development process can be grouped into several development stages, including the decision of sexual reproductive cycle, mating process, growth of fruiting body, karyogamy followed by meiosis, and sporulation process. Complicated regulatory networks, such as signal transduction pathways and gene expression controls, may work in each stage and stage-to-stage linkages. In this review, the components joining in the regulatory pathways of sexual development, although they constitute only a small part of the whole regulatory networks, are briefly mentioned. Some of them control sexual development positively and some do negatively. Regarding the difficulties for studying sexual differentiation compare to asexual one, recent progresses in molecular genetics of E. nidulans enlarge the boundaries of understanding sexual development in the non-fertile species as well as in fertile fungi.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제46권2호
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• pp.65-70
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• 2008

Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) is currently promoted as a strategy for treating both uncomplicated and severe falciparum malaria, targeting asexual blood-stage Plasmodium falciparum parasites. However, the effect of ACT on sexual-stage parasites remains controversial. To determine the clearance of sexual-stage P. falciparum parasites from 342 uncomplicated, and 217 severe, adult malaria cases, we reviewed and followed peripheral blood sexualstage parasites for 4 wk after starting ACT. All patients presented with both asexual and sexual stage parasites on admission, and were treated with artesunate-mefloquine as the standard regimen. The results showed that all patients were asymptomatic and negative for asexual forms before discharge from hospital. The percentages of uncomplicated malaria patients positive for gametocytes on days 3, 7, 14, 21, and 28 were 41.5, 13.1, 3.8, 2.0, and 2.0%, while the percentages of gametocyte positive severe malaria patients on days 3, 7, 14, 21, and 28 were 33.6, 8.2, 2.7, 0.9, and 0.9%, respectively. Although all patients were negative for asexual parasites by day 7 after completion of the artesunate-mefloquine course, gametocytemia persisted in some patients. Thus, a gametocytocidal drug, e.g., primaquine, may be useful in combination with an artesunate-mefloquine regimen to clear gametocytes, so blocking transmission more effectively than artesunate alone, in malaria transmission areas.