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The putative sensor histidine kinase VadJ coordinates development and sterigmatocystin production in Aspergillus nidulans

  • Microbial Genetics, Genomics and Molecular Biology
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Abstract

The VosA-VelB heterocomplex governs expression of several genes associated with fungal development and secondary metabolism. In this study, we have investigated the functions of one of the VosA-VelB-activated developmental genes vadJ in development and production of the mycotoxin sterigmatocystin in the model fungus Aspergillus nidulans. The vadJ gene is predicted to encode a 957-amino acid length protein containing a highly conserved sensor histidine kinase domain. The deletion of vosA or velB resulted in decreased mRNA levels of vadJ throughout the life cycle, suggesting that VosA and VelB are necessary for proper expression of vadJ. Nullifying vadJ led to highly restricted colony growth, lowered formation of asexual spores, and about two-fold reduction in conidial viability. Conversely, the deletion of vadJ resulted in elevated production of sexual fruiting bodies and sterigmatocystin. These suggest that VadJ is necessary for proper coordination of asexual and sexual development, and sterigmatocystin production. In accordance with this idea, the deletion of vadJ led to elevated mRNA levels of the two key sexual developmental activators esdC and nsdD. In summary, the putative sensor histidine kinase VadJ represses sexual development and sterigmatocystin production, but activates asexual development in A. nidulans.

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Acknowledgements

This research was founded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31971564) and Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Normal University (19XSRX024) for Yanxia Zhao. The work at UW-Madison was support by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, United States Department of Agriculture, Hatch project 1009695 to Jae-Hyuk Yu.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory for Biotechnology on Medicinal Plants of Jiangsu Province, Department of Life Science, Jiangsu Normal University, Jiangsu, 221116, P. R. China

    Yanxia Zhao & Weifa Zheng

  2. Biological Resource Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Jeongeup, 56212, Republic of Korea

    Mi-Kyung Lee

  3. Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA

    Jieyin Lim, Heungyun Moon & Jae-Hyuk Yu

  4. School of Food Science and Biotechnology, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 41566, Republic of Korea

    Hee-Soo Park

  5. Department of Systems Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Seoul, 05029, Republic of Korea

    Jae-Hyuk Yu

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  1. Yanxia Zhao
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  4. Heungyun Moon
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  5. Hee-Soo Park
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Correspondence to Weifa Zheng or Jae-Hyuk Yu.

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Zhao, Y., Lee, MK., Lim, J. et al. The putative sensor histidine kinase VadJ coordinates development and sterigmatocystin production in Aspergillus nidulans. J Microbiol. 59, 746–752 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-021-1055-2

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