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ARS Home » Southeast Area » New Orleans, Louisiana » Southern Regional Research Center » Food and Feed Safety Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #352246
Research Project: Genetic and Environmental Factors Controlling Aflatoxin Biosynthesis

Location: Food and Feed Safety Research

Title: Environmental interactions that influence secondary metabolism and development in the saprophytic crop pathogen Aspergillus flavus

Author
item Gilbert, Matthew
item Mack, Brian
item MEDINA, ANGEL - Cranfield University
item MAGAN, NARESH - Cranfield University
item Bhatnagar, Deepak

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/6/2018
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Aspergillus flavus is a pathogenic and opportunistic fungus that can infect several crops of agricultural importance and has the potential to produce carcinogenic mycotoxins such as aflatoxin. Predicted changes in global temperatures, precipitation patterns and carbon dioxide levels are expected to impact the growth, virulence, and production of secondary metabolites in A. flavus, and both laboratory and real-world observations have provided evidence of this. Here we report the results of transcriptomic, metabolic, and developmental analysis of A. flavus after various temperature, water activity, and carbon dioxide treatments. The development and subsequent analysis of acclimatized strains indicate potential adaptive strategies of the fungus. RNA-sequencing of maize-fungus interaction samples, incubated in situ and collected at several time points, were treated with several combinations of these environmental variables and demonstrate the expression of virulence, growth, or metabolism-related genes that are dependent on the interaction of various environmental conditions. Special emphasis is placed on the role carbon dioxide levels have in mediating the response to water activity levels and temperature.