
ABSTRACT Conidiation (asexual sporulation) is a key developmental process in filamentous fungi. We examined the gene regulatory roles of the Aspergillus fumigatus developmental transcription factors StuAp and BrlAp during conidiation. Conidiation was completely abrogated in an A. fumigatus Δ brlA mutant and was severely impaired in a Δ stuA mutant. We determined the full genome conidiation transcriptomes of wild-type and Δ brlA and Δ stuA mutant A. fumigatus and found that BrlAp and StuAp governed overlapping but distinct transcriptional programs. Six secondary metabolite biosynthetic clusters were found to be regulated by StuAp, while only one cluster exhibited BrlAp-dependent expression. The Δ brlA mutant, but not the Δ stuA mutant, had impaired downregulation of genes encoding ribosomal proteins under nitrogen-limiting, but not carbon-limiting, conditions. Interestingly, inhibition of the target of rapamycin (TOR) pathway also caused downregulation of ribosomal protein genes in both the wild-type strain and the Δ brlA mutant. Downregulation of these genes by TOR inhibition was associated with conidiation in the wild-type strain but not in the Δ brlA mutant. Therefore, BrlAp-mediated repression of ribosomal protein gene expression is not downstream of the TOR pathway. Furthermore, inhibition of ribosomal protein gene expression is not sufficient to induce conidiation in the absence of BrlAp.
Transcription, Genetic, Nitrogen, Aspergillus fumigatus, Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental, Spores, Fungal, Fungal Proteins, Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal, Mutation, Ribosomes, Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis, Signal Transduction, Transcription Factors
Transcription, Genetic, Nitrogen, Aspergillus fumigatus, Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental, Spores, Fungal, Fungal Proteins, Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal, Mutation, Ribosomes, Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis, Signal Transduction, Transcription Factors
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