title: Functional Analysis of the Nitrogen Metabolite Repression Regulator GenenmrAinAspergillus flavus.
abstract: InAspergillus nidulans, the nitrogen metabolite repression (NMR) regulator NmrA plays a major role in regulating the activity of the GATA transcription factor AreA during nitrogen metabolism. However, the function ofnmrAinA. flavushas not been previously studied. Here, we report the identification and functional analysis ofnmrAinA. flavus. Our work showed that the amino acid sequences of NmrA are highly conserved amongAspergillusspecies and thatA. flavusNmrA protein contains a canonical Rossmann fold motif. Deletion ofnmrAslowed the growth ofA. flavusbut significantly increased conidiation and sclerotia production. Moreover, seed infection experiments indicated thatnmrAis required for the invasive virulence ofA. flavus. In addition, the ΔnmrAmutant showed increased sensitivity to rapamycin and methyl methanesulfonate, suggesting thatnmrAcould be responsive to target of rapamycin signaling and DNA damage. Furthermore, quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis suggested thatnmrAmight interact with other nitrogen regulatory and catabolic genes. Our study provides a better understanding of NMR and the nitrogen metabolism network in fungi.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Fungi and Mycotoxins of Fujian Province, Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology of Education Ministry, School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoyun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Fungi and Mycotoxins of Fujian Province, Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology of Education Ministry, School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: Mengguang
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Fungi and Mycotoxins of Fujian Province, Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology of Education Ministry, School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Wen-Bing
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Fungi and Mycotoxins of Fujian Province, Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology of Education Ministry, School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: Xinyi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Nie
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Fungi and Mycotoxins of Fujian Province, Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology of Education Ministry, School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: Qiuping
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Fungi and Mycotoxins of Fujian Province, Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology of Education Ministry, School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: Silin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Fungi and Mycotoxins of Fujian Province, Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology of Education Ministry, School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: Kunlong
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Fungi and Mycotoxins of Fujian Province, Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology of Education Ministry, School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Fungi and Mycotoxins of Fujian Province, Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology of Education Ministry, School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: Zhenhong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhuang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Fungi and Mycotoxins of Fujian Province, Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology of Education Ministry, School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: Shihua
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
keywords: AreA; Aspergillus flavus; aflatoxins; nitrogen metabolism; nmrA