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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Dawson, Georgia » National Peanut Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #180134
Title: EVOLUTIONARY PROCESSES IN THE AFLATOXIN GENE CLUSTER IN ASPERGILLUS

Author
item I, CARBONE - NC STATE UNIVERSITY
item JAKOBEK, J - NC STATE UNIVERSITY
item MOUSSA, E - LEBANESE UNIVERSITY
item Horn, Bruce

Submitted to: Phytopathology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/25/2005
Publication Date: 7/13/2005
Citation: I. C., Jakobek, J.L., Moussa, E.H., Horn, B.W. 2005. Evolutionary processes in the aflatoxin gene cluster in aspergillus. Phytopathology.

Interpretive Summary: not required

Technical Abstract: Aflatoxins are potent natural carcinogenic secondary metabolites produced by several species in the genus Aspergillus. Recently nonaflatoxigenic A. flavus strains were approved as biocontrol agents for use on cotton and peanuts. Although these biocontrol strains have proven to be effective, we have no knowledge of the long-term effects that introduced strains have on the evolution of aflatoxigenicity. Our hypothesis is that a low level of recombination and gene flow among Aspergillus species is significantly contributing to the persistence and further evolution of aflatoxigenic strains. We are currently testing this hypothesis by focusing on A. flavus and A. parasiticus, the two most abundant aflatoxigenic species. Our examination of nucleotide sequence variation in 21 intergenic regions across the entire aflatoxin gene cluster of A. parasiticus indicates the presence of recombination blocks. The same blocks appear to be conserved for putative orthologs of these genes in A. nidulans, A. flavus, and A. fumigatus, indicating the potential for an introduced biocontrol strain to acquire toxigenicity genes from indigenous strains via recombination or from sympatric species via horizontal transfer. We are currently examining the timing and frequency of these events in nature.