Signaling the induction of sporulation involves the interaction of two secondary metabolites in Aspergillus nidulans

Ref ID: 18293

Author:

Ana Belen Rodrguez-Urra, Carlos Jimnez, Mara Isabel Nieto, Jaime Rodrguez, Hideo Hayashi and Unai Ugalde1

Author address:

Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of The Basque Country, San Sebastian 20018, Spain.2.
Departament of Fundamental Chemistry, Faculty od Sciences.Campus da Zapateira, University of A Corua, 15071 A Corua, Spain. 3.

Full conference title:

Asperfest 9

Abstract:

When growing Aspergillus nidulans hyphae encounter the atmosphere they initiate a morphogenetic program leading to the production
of spore- bearing structures called conidiophores. Mutants defective in the fluG gene fail to initiate asexual sporulation because they
lack an endogenous diffusible factor that purportedly accumulates on aerial hyphae, thus signaling development. Culture extracts from
a wild type strain can, however, complement this defect when added exogenously. Through a bioassay- guided purification of culture
extracts of a wild type strain, a factor that reverted the non-sporulating phenotype of a fluG deletion mutant was purified and identified
as dehydroaustinol. This meroterpenoid was only active in fractions containing the orsellinic acid derivative diorcinol. This compound
interacts with dehydroaustinol to form an adduct, detected by HRMS in a LC-MS experiment, which prevented dehydroaustinol
crystal formation, facilitating its access to the putative receptor. This is, to our knowledge, the first instance in which a signaling
compound requires the presence of an assisting molecule to facilitate its mode of action. Keywords: Aspergillus nidulans, asexual
development, conidiophore, autoregulators.

Abstract Number: 43)

Conference Year: 2012

Link to conference website: NULL

New link: NULL

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