title: Molecular mechanisms of Aspergillus flavus secondary metabolism and development.
abstract: The plant and human opportunistic fungus Aspergillus flavus is recognized for the production of the carcinogen aflatoxin. Although many reviews focus on the wealth of information known about aflatoxin biosynthesis, few articles describe other genes and molecules important for A. flavus development or secondary metabolism. Here we compile the most recent work on A. flavus secondary metabolite clusters, environmental response mechanisms (stress response pathways, quorum sensing and G protein signaling pathways) and the function of the transcriptional regulatory unit known as the Velvet Complex. A comparison to other Aspergilli reveals conservation in several pathways affecting fungal development and metabolism.
authors.affiliation: University of Wisconsin - Madison, 3476 Microbial Sciences Building, 1550 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706-1521, United States.
authors.forename: Meareg G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Amare
authors.affiliation: University of Wisconsin - Madison, 3476 Microbial Sciences Building, 1550 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706-1521, United States. Electronic address: npkeller@wisc.edu.
authors.forename: Nancy P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Keller
mesh_terms: D000348:Aflatoxins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D001231:Aspergillus flavus / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D002274:Carcinogens, Environmental / Q000378:metabolism; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016681:Genome, Fungal; D006801:Humans; D005810:Multigene Family; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010944:Plants / Q000382:microbiology; D053038:Quorum Sensing; D064210:Secondary Metabolism / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000348:Aflatoxins; D002274:Carcinogens, Environmental; D005656:Fungal Proteins
keywords: Aflatoxin; Aspergillus flavus; Gene cluster; LaeA; Quorum; VeA