Influence of farnesol on the morphogenesis of Aspergillus niger.
Farnesol was the first quorum-sensing regulator to be found in eukaryotic cells. In Candida albicans, a dimorphic fungal human pathogen, farnesol blocks the yeast-to-filamentous growth transition. Here we show that in Aspergillus niger farnesol acts as an inhibitor of conidiation: Colonies grown on media containing farnesol were unable to develop conidia. Although farnesol treated A. niger cultures exhibited a colony morphology resembling the "fluffy" phenotype of A. nidulans, which is caused by a hyperactive G-protein/cAMP pathway, the intracellular level of cAMP in A. niger mycelia grown in presence of farnesol is greatly diminished. Furthermore, whereas inhibiting adenylyl cyclase led to a farnesol-like effect, the addition of external cAMP inhibited conidiation without causing a "fluffy" phenotype. This suggests that the mechanisms regulating conidiation in A. niger and A. nidulans are different.
Lorek
Justine
J
Henkel KGaA, Research/Technology, 40191 Düsseldorf, Germany.
Pöggeler
Stefanie
S
Weide
Mirko R
MR
Breves
Roland
R
Bockmühl
Dirk P
DP
D001234:Aspergillus niger / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D005204:Farnesol / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D025301:Hyphae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
D005204:Farnesol