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Microorganisms
Special Issues
Cellular and Molecular Biology of Aspergillus
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Cellular and Molecular Biology of Aspergillus

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Microbiology and Immunology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2021) | Viewed by 7675

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Kap-Hoon Han

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Woosuk University,443 Samrye-ro, Wanju, Jeonbuk 55338, Korea
Interests: filamentous fungi; Aspergillus; molecular genetics and genomics; development; signal transduction; secondary metabolism
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Seung Beom Hong

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Korean Agricultural Culture Collection (KACC), National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Wanju-gun, Republic of Korea
Interests: Aspergillus classification; morphology; preservation

Special Issue Information

The genus Aspergillus encompass more than 340 species that are the most common and ubiquitously distributed fungi on earth. Aspergili are the main agents of decomposition for various organic substances. They also cause several plant diseases and produce unwanted toxins, which can contaminate various plant products, including peanuts and corns. On the other hand, many Aspergillus species are used for enzyme production, food fermentations, biotechnology, and the production of pharmaceuticals.

Aspergilli reproduce primarily by forming asexual spores (conidia) produced in conidiophores. The morphologies of conidiophores are key parameters for the identification and classification within the genus Aspergillus.

The aim of this Special Issue, Aspergillus, is to provide current research regarding all Aspergillus fungi for the interchange of valuable information (both basic and applied research) to help the fungal research community.

As a Guest Editor of the Special Issue, I invite you to submit research articles, review articles, and short communications related to Aspergillus morphology, cell biology, signal transduction, genetics and genomics, and secondary metabolism

Prof. Kap-Hoon Han
Dr. Seung Beom Hong
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Microorganisms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Aspergillus classification
  • morphology
  • Aspergillus growth and development
  • cell biology
  • signal transduction
  • secondary metabolism

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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23 pages, 2707 KiB  
Article
AtfA-Independent Adaptation to the Toxic Heavy Metal Cadmium in Aspergillus nidulans
by Tamás Emri, Barnabás Gila, Károly Antal, Fanni Fekete, Heungyun Moon, Jae-Hyuk Yu and István Pócsi
Microorganisms 2021, 9(7), 1433; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9071433 - 02 Jul 2021
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2195
Abstract
Cadmium is an exceptionally toxic industrial and environmental pollutant classified as a human carcinogen. In order to provide insight into how we can keep our environment safe from cadmium contamination and prevent the accumulation of it in the food chain, we aim to [...] Read more.
Cadmium is an exceptionally toxic industrial and environmental pollutant classified as a human carcinogen. In order to provide insight into how we can keep our environment safe from cadmium contamination and prevent the accumulation of it in the food chain, we aim to elucidate how Aspergillus nidulans, one of the most abundant fungi in soil, survives and handles cadmium stress. As AtfA is the main transcription factor governing stress responses in A. nidulans, we examined genome-wide expression responses of wild-type and the atfA null mutant exposed to CdCl2. Both strains showed up-regulation of the crpA Cu2+/Cd2+ pump gene and AN7729 predicted to encode a putative bis(glutathionato)-cadmium transporter, and transcriptional changes associated with elevated intracellular Cys availability leading to the efficient adaptation to Cd2+. Although the deletion of atfA did not alter the cadmium tolerance of the fungus, the cadmium stress response of the mutant differed from that of a reference strain. Promoter and transcriptional analyses of the “Phospho-relay response regulator” genes suggest that the AtfA-dependent regulation of these genes can be relevant in this phenomenon. We concluded that the regulatory network of A. nidulans has a high flexibility allowing the fungus to adapt efficiently to stress both in the presence and absence of this important transcription factor. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cellular and Molecular Biology of Aspergillus)
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11 pages, 2154 KiB  
Article
HbxB Is a Key Regulator for Stress Response and β-Glucan Biogenesis in Aspergillus nidulans
by Sung-Hun Son, Mi-Kyung Lee, Ye-Eun Son and Hee-Soo Park
Microorganisms 2021, 9(1), 144; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9010144 - 11 Jan 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2030
Abstract
Homeobox transcription factors are conserved in eukaryotes and act as multi-functional transcription factors in filamentous fungi. Previously, it was demonstrated that HbxB governs fungal development and spore viability in Aspergillus nidulans. Here, the role of HbxB in A. nidulans was further characterized. [...] Read more.
Homeobox transcription factors are conserved in eukaryotes and act as multi-functional transcription factors in filamentous fungi. Previously, it was demonstrated that HbxB governs fungal development and spore viability in Aspergillus nidulans. Here, the role of HbxB in A. nidulans was further characterized. RNA-sequencing revealed that HbxB affects the transcriptomic levels of genes associated with trehalose biosynthesis and response to thermal, oxidative, and radiation stresses in asexual spores called conidia. A phenotypic analysis found that hbxB deletion mutant conidia were more sensitive to ultraviolet stress. The loss of hbxB increased the mRNA expression of genes associated with β-glucan degradation and decreased the amount of β-glucan in conidia. In addition, hbxB deletion affected the expression of the sterigmatocystin gene cluster and the amount of sterigmatocystin. Overall, these results indicated that HbxB is a key transcription factor regulating trehalose biosynthesis, stress tolerance, β-glucan degradation, and sterigmatocystin production in A.nidulans conidia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cellular and Molecular Biology of Aspergillus)
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Review

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24 pages, 6161 KiB  
Review
Aspergillus Hydrophobins: Physicochemical Properties, Biochemical Properties, and Functions in Solid Polymer Degradation
by Takumi Tanaka, Yuki Terauchi, Akira Yoshimi and Keietsu Abe
Microorganisms 2022, 10(8), 1498; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10081498 - 25 Jul 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2802
Abstract
Hydrophobins are small amphipathic proteins conserved in filamentous fungi. In this review, the properties and functions of Aspergillus hydrophobins are comprehensively discussed on the basis of recent findings. Multiple Aspergillus hydrophobins have been identified and categorized in conventional class I and two non-conventional [...] Read more.
Hydrophobins are small amphipathic proteins conserved in filamentous fungi. In this review, the properties and functions of Aspergillus hydrophobins are comprehensively discussed on the basis of recent findings. Multiple Aspergillus hydrophobins have been identified and categorized in conventional class I and two non-conventional classes. Some Aspergillus hydrophobins can be purified in a water phase without organic solvents. Class I hydrophobins of Aspergilli self-assemble to form amphipathic membranes. At the air–liquid interface, RolA of Aspergillus oryzae self-assembles via four stages, and its self-assembled films consist of two layers, a rodlet membrane facing air and rod-like structures facing liquid. The self-assembly depends mainly on hydrophobin conformation and solution pH. Cys4–Cys5 and Cys7–Cys8 loops, disulfide bonds, and conserved Cys residues of RodA-like hydrophobins are necessary for self-assembly at the interface and for adsorption to solid surfaces. AfRodA helps Aspergillus fumigatus to evade recognition by the host immune system. RodA-like hydrophobins recruit cutinases to promote the hydrolysis of aliphatic polyesters. This mechanism appears to be conserved in Aspergillus and other filamentous fungi, and may be beneficial for their growth. Aspergilli produce various small secreted proteins (SSPs) including hydrophobins, hydrophobic surface–binding proteins, and effector proteins. Aspergilli may use a wide variety of SSPs to decompose solid polymers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cellular and Molecular Biology of Aspergillus)
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