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Aspergillus flavus expressed sequence tags and microarray as tools in understanding aflatoxin biosynthesis

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Abstract

Aflatoxins are the most toxic and carcinogenic naturally occurring mycotoxins. They are produced primarily byAspergillus flavus andA. parasiticus. In order to better understand the molecular mechanisms that control aflatoxin production, identification of genes usingA. flavus expressed sequence tags (ESTs) and microarrays is currently being performed. Sequencing and annotation ofA. flavus ESTs from a normalizedA. flavus cDNA library identified 7,218 unique EST sequences. Genes that are putatively involved in aflatoxin biosynthesis, regulation and signal transduction, fungal virulence or pathogenicity, stress response or antioxidation, and fungal development were identified from these ESTs. Microarrays containing over 5,000 uniqueA. flavus gene amplicons were constructed at The Institute for Genomic Research. Gene expression profiling under aflatoxin-producing and non-producing conditions using this microarray has identified hundreds of genes that are potentially involved in aflatoxin production. Further investigations on the functions of these genes by gene knockout experiments are underway. This research is expected to provide information for developing new strategies for controlling aflatoxin contamination of agricultural commodities.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Food and Feed Safety Research, USDA-ARS Southern Regional Research Center, 1100 Robert E. Lee Blvd., 70124, New Orleans, LA, USA

    J. Yu, T. E. Cleveland, J. R. Wilkinson & D. Bhatnagar

  2. Plant Mycotoxin Research, USDA-ARS Western Regional Research Center, 800 Buchanan St., 94710, Albany, CA, USA

    B. C. Campbell & J. H. Kim

  3. The Institute for Genomic Research, 9712 Medical Center Drive, 20850, Rockville, MD, USA

    H. S. Kim & W. C. Nierman

  4. Department of Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, 27695, Raleigh, NC, USA

    G. A. Payne

  5. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The George Washington University School of Medicine, 2300 Eye Street NW, 20037, Washington DC, USA

    W. C. Nierman

Authors
  1. J. Yu
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  2. T. E. Cleveland
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  3. J. R. Wilkinson
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  4. B. C. Campbell
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  5. J. H. Kim
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  6. H. S. Kim
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  7. D. Bhatnagar
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  8. G. A. Payne
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  9. W. C. Nierman
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. Yu.

Additional information

Financial support USDA-ARS Food Safety (Agima and Plant Products) CRIS project NP 108

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Yu, J., Cleveland, T.E., Wilkinson, J.R. et al. Aspergillus flavus expressed sequence tags and microarray as tools in understanding aflatoxin biosynthesis. Mycotox Res 22, 16–21 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02954552

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02954552

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