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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 #411149
Research Project: Aflatoxin Control through Identification of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Factors Governing the Aspergillus Flavus-Corn Interaction

Location: Food and Feed Safety Research

Title: Regulatory functions of homeobox domain transcription factors in fungi

Author
item CALVO, ANA - Northern Illinois University
item DABHOLKAR, A - Northern Illinois University
item WYMAN, ELIZABETH - Northern Illinois University
item Lohmar, Jessica
item Cary, Jeffrey

Submitted to: Applied and Environmental Microbiology
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/30/2024
Publication Date: 2/29/2024
Citation: 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.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.02208-23

Interpretive Summary: This article provides a comprehensive review of the literature and knowledge gaps associated with work that has been published on the importance of homeobox transcription factors on fungal biology, especially in development, stress response, secondary metabolism and virulence. The manuscript highlights the role of homeobox genes in Aspergillus species with respect to human and plant disease. Information provided in this review will aid researchers as they conduct further investigations into the molecular mechanisms that control important fungal disease processes such as morphogenesis, secondary metabolism, virulence and stress response and will be valuable in the development of novel strategies to improve human health and mitigate agriculture-associated fungal diseases.

Technical Abstract: The Homeobox Domain (HD) proteins present a crucial involvement in morphological differentiation and other functions in Eukaryotes. Most HD genes encode transcription factors that orchestrate a regulatory role in cellular and developmental decisions. In fungi, multiple studies have increased our understanding of these important HD regulators in recent years. These reports have revealed their role in fungal development, both sexual and asexual, as well as their importance governing other biological processes in these organisms, including secondary metabolism, pathogenicity and sensitivity to environmental stresses. Here we provide a comprehensive review of the current knowledge on the regulatory roles of HD transcription factors in fungi, with a special focus on Aspergillus species.