Research Project: Aflatoxin Control through Identification of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Factors Governing the Aspergillus Flavus-Corn Interaction

Location: Food and Feed Safety Research

Publications (Clicking on the reprint icon will take you to the publication reprint.)

Beyond morphogenesis and secondary metabolism: function of Velvet proteins and LaeA in fungal pathogenesis - (Literature Review)
Calvo, A.M., Dabholkar, A., Wyman, E., Lohmar, J.M., Cary, J.W. 2024. Beyond morphogenesis and secondary metabolism: function of Velvet proteins and LaeA in fungal pathogenesis. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. article e00819-24. https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.00819-24.

Divergent Aspergillus flavus corn population is composed of prolific conidium producers: implications for saprophytic disease cycle - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Sweany, R.R., Mack, B.M., Gebru, S.T., Mammel, M.K., Cary, J.W., Moore, G.G., Lebar, M.D., Carter Wientjes, C.H., Gilbert, M.K. 2024. Divergent Aspergillus flavus corn population is composed of prolific conidium producers: implications for saprophytic disease cycle. Mycologia. https://doi.org/10.1080/00275514.2024.2343645.

Genomic and metabolomic diversity within a familial population of Aspergillus flavus - (Peer Reviewed Journal)

Regulatory functions of homeobox domain transcription factors in fungi - (Review Article)
Calvo, A.M., Dabholkar, A., Wyman, E.M., Lohmar, J.M., Cary, J.W. 2024. Regulatory functions of homeobox domain transcription factors in fungi. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.02208-23.

Creating large chromosomal segment deletions in Aspergillus flavus by a dual CRISPR/Cas9 system: Deletion of gene clusters for production of aflatoxin, cyclopiazonic acid, and ustiloxin B - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Chang, P. 2023. Creating large chromosomal segment deletions in Aspergillus flavus by a dual CRISPR/Cas9 system: Deletion of gene clusters for production of aflatoxin, cyclopiazonic acid, and ustiloxin B. Fungal Genetics and Biology. 170. Article 103863. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fgb.2023.103863.

Microbiota of maize kernels as influenced by Aspergillus flavus infection in susceptible and resistant inbreds - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Moore, G.G., Chalivendra, S., Mack, B.M., Gilbert, M.K., Cary, J.W., Rajasekaran, K. 2023. Microbiota of maize kernels as influenced by Aspergillus flavus infection in susceptible and resistant inbreds. Frontiers in Microbiology. 14. Article 1291284. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1291284.

Are current Aspergillus sojae strains originated from native aflatoxigenic Aspergillus species population also present in California? - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Chang, P.-K., Sheng T. Hua, S. 2023. Are current Aspergillus sojae strains originated from native aflatoxigenic Aspergillus species population also present in California? Mycobiology. https://doi.org/10.1080/12298093.2023.2217495.

Genome sequencing Louisiana Aspergillus flavus population to understand corn-fungal interaction - (Abstract Only)

Variation with in vitro analysis of volatile profiles among Aspergillus flavus strains from Louisiana - (Peer Reviewed Journal)

Kojic acid gene clusters and the transcriptional activation mechanism of Aspergillus flavus KojR on expression of clustered genes - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Chang, P.-K., Scharfenstein, L.L., Mahoney, N., Kong, Q. 2023. Kojic acid gene clusters and the transcriptional activation mechanism of Aspergillus flavus KojR on expression of clustered genes. The Journal of Fungi. 9:259. https://doi.org/10.3390/jof9020259.

Putative core transcription factors affecting virulence in Aspergillus flavus during infection of maize - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Gilbert, M.K., Mack, B.M., Lebar, M.D., Chang, P.-K., Gross, S.R., Sweany, R.R., Cary, J.W., Rajasekaran, K. 2023. Putative core transcription factors affecting virulence in Aspergillus flavus during infection of maize. The Journal of Fungi. 9(1):118. https://doi.org/10.3390/jof9010118.

A simple CRISPR/Cas9 system for efficiently targeting genes of Aspergillus section Flavi species, Aspergillus nidulans, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus terreus and Aspergillus niger - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Chang, P.-K. 2023. A simple CRISPR/Cas9 system for efficiently targeting genes of Aspergillus section Flavi species, Aspergillus nidulans, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus terreus and Aspergillus niger. Microbiology Spectrum. 11(1):1-18. https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.04648-22.

Small NRPS-like enzymes in Aspergillus sections Flavi and Circumdati selectively form substituted pyrazinone metabolites - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Lebar, M.D., Mack, B.M., Carter Wientjes, C.H., Wei, Q., Mattison, C.P., Cary, J.W. 2022. Small NRPS-like enzymes in Aspergillus sections Flavi and Circumdati selectively form substituted pyrazinone metabolites. Frontiers in Fungal Biology. 3:1029195. https://doi.org/10.3389/ffunb.2022.1029195.

Cumulative effects of non-aflatoxigenic Aspergillus flavus volatile organic compounds to abate toxin production by mycotoxigenic aspergilli - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Moore, G.G., Lebar, M.D., Carter-Wientjes, C.H. 2022. Cumulative effects of non-aflatoxigenic Aspergillus flavus volatile organic compounds to abate toxin production by mycotoxigenic aspergilli. Toxins. 14:340. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins14050340.

Aspergillus flavus La3279, a component strain of the Aflasafe biocontrol product, contains a partial aflatoxin biosynthesis gene cluster followed by a genomic region highly variable among A. flavus isolates - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Chang, P. 2022. Aspergillus flavus La3279, a component strain of the Aflasafe biocontrol product, contains a partial aflatoxin biosynthesis gene cluster followed by a genomic region highly variable among A. flavus isolates. International Journal of Food Microbiology. 366:109559. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2022.109559.

Development of sexual structures influences metabolomic and transcriptomic profiles in Aspergillus flavus - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Luis, J.M., Carbone, I., Mack, B.M., Lebar, M.D., Cary, J.W., Gilbert, M.K., Bhatnagar, D., Carter-Wientjes, C.H., Payne, G.A., Moore, G.G., Ameen, Y.O., Ojiambo, P.S. 2022. Development of sexual structures influences metabolomic and transcriptomic profiles in Aspergillus flavus. Fungal Biology. 126:187-200.

Vibrio gazogenes inhibits aflatoxin production through downregulation of aflatoxin biosynthetic genes in Aspergillus flavus - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Kandel, S.L., Jesmin, R., Mack, B.M., Majumdar, R., Gilbert, M.K., Cary, J.W., Lebar, M.D., Gummadidala, P.M., Calvo, A.M., Rajasekaran, K., Chanda, A. 2022. Vibrio gazogenes inhibits aflatoxin production through downregulation of aflatoxin biosynthetic genes in Aspergillus flavus. PhytoFrontiers. 2(3):218-229. https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTOFR-09-21-0067-R.

New insights of transcriptional regulator AflR in Aspergillus flavus physiology - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Wang, P., Xu, J., Chang, P.-K., Liu, Z., Kong, Q. 2022. New insights of transcriptional regulator AflR in Aspergillus flavus physiology. Microbiology Spectrum. 10(1). Article e00791-21.

Genetic responses and aflatoxin inhibition during co-culture of aflatoxigenic and non-aflatoxigenic Aspergillus flavus - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Sweany, R.R., Mack, B.M., Moore, G.G., Gilbert, M.K., Cary, J.W., Lebar, M.D., Rajasekaran, K., Damann Jr, K.E. 2021. Genetic responses and aflatoxin inhibition during co-culture of aflatoxigenic and non-aflatoxigenic Aspergillus flavus. Toxins. 13:794. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins13110794.