title: Expression of aflatoxin genes aflO (omtB) and aflQ (ordA) differentiates levels of aflatoxin production by Aspergillus flavus strains from soils of pistachio orchards.
abstract: The expression of four aflatoxin (AF) biosynthetic pathway genes (aflD, aflO, aflP and aflQ) was evaluated in 24 Aspergillus flavus strains isolated from soils of pistachio orchards, with the aim of rapidly and accurately differentiating toxigenic from non-toxigenic strains. The amounts of AFB1 produced by 20 aflatoxigenic strains varied from 1.25 to 321.56 ng/mg fungal dry weights in YES medium. RT-PCR results showed that transcription of the four genes was not always correlated with AF production. The expression pattern of aflO and aflQ, however, was found to be well correlated with the amounts of AFB1 produced when strains were arbitrarily classified into two types: type I, comprised of strains producing ≥30 ng/mg; and type II, low (≤30 ng/mg) and non-AF producers. The present study suggests that, under specific growth conditions, the expression pattern of aflatoxin biosynthetic pathway genes such as aflO and aflQ can be used to infer the AF-producing capability of A. flavus strains.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mycology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran 13164, Iran; Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Payam-e-Noor University Karaj Branch, Alborz, Iran.
authors.forename: Mojdeh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jamali
authors.forename: Morteza
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karimipour
authors.forename: Masoomeh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shams-Ghahfarokhi
authors.forename: Akram
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Amani
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Razzaghi-Abyaneh
mesh_terms: D000348:Aflatoxins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D001231:Aspergillus flavus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D053898:Biosynthetic Pathways / Q000235:genetics*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D027927:Pistacia / Q000254:growth & development*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012988:Soil Microbiology
chemical_list: D000348:Aflatoxins