title: Genetic control of asexual development in aspergillus fumigatus.
abstract: Aspergillus fumigatus is one of the most common fungi found in the environment. It is an opportunistic human pathogen causing invasive pulmonary aspergillosis with a high mortality rate in immunocompromised patients. Conidia, the asexual spores, serve as the main dispersal and infection agent allowing entrance of the fungus into the host through the respiratory tract. Therefore, understanding the asexual developmental process that gives rise to the conidia is of great interest to the scientific community and is currently the focus of an immense load of research being conducted. We have been studying the genetic basis that controls asexual development and gliotoxin biosynthesis in A. fumigatus. In this review, we discuss the genetic regulatory system that dictates conidiation in this important fungus by covering the roles of crucial genetic factors from the upstream heterotrimeric G-protein signaling components to the more specific downstream central activators of the conidiation pathway. In addition, other key asexual regulators including the velvet regulators, the Flb proteins and their associated regulatory factors are discussed.
authors.affiliation: University of Wisconsin-Madison, MSB, Madison, WI, USA.
authors.forename: Fahad
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Alkhayyat
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Dae-Jon, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chang Kim
authors.affiliation: University of Wisconsin-Madison, MSB, Madison, WI, USA.
authors.forename: Jae-Hyuk
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D001232:Aspergillus fumigatus / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D012100:Reproduction, Asexual; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D005656:Fungal Proteins
keywords: Asexual development; Aspergillus fumigatus; Conidia; Gliotoxin; Regulation