Document Type
Article
Abstract
Fungal secondary metabolism and morphological development have been shown to be intimately associated at the genetic level. Much of the literature has focused on the co-regulation of secondary metabolite production (e.g., sterigmatocystin and aflatoxin in Aspergillus nidulans and Aspergillus flavus, respectively) with conidiation or formation of sexual fruiting bodies. However, many of these genetic links also control sclerotial production. Sclerotia are resistant structures produced by a number of fungal genera. They also represent the principal source of primary inoculum for some phytopathogenic fungi. In nature, higher plants often concentrate secondary metabolites in reproductive structures as a means of defense against herbivores and insects. By analogy, fungi also sequester a number of secondary metabolites in sclerotia that act as a chemical defense system against fungivorous predators. These include antiinsectant compounds such as tetramic acids, indole diterpenoids, pyridones, and diketopiperazines. This chapter will focus on the molecular mechanisms governing production of secondary metabolites and the role they play in sclerotial development and fungal ecology, with particular emphasis on Aspergillus species. The global regulatory proteins VeA and LaeA, components of the velvet nuclear protein complex, serve as virulence factors and control both development and secondary metabolite production in many Aspergillus species. We will discuss a number of VeA- and LaeA-regulated secondary metabolic gene clusters in A. flavus that are postulated to be involved in sclerotial morphogenesis and chemical defense. The presence of multiple regulatory factors that control secondary metabolism and sclerotial formation suggests that fungi have evolved these complex regulatory mechanisms as a means to rapidly adapt chemical responses to protect sclerotia from predators, competitors and other environmental stressors.
DOI
10.3389/fmicb.2015.00062
Publication Date
2-16-2015
Recommended Citation
Calvo AM and Cary JW (2015) Association of fungal secondary metabolism and sclerotial biology. Front. Microbiol. 6:62. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.00062
Original Citation
Calvo AM and Cary JW (2015) Association of fungal secondary metabolism and sclerotial biology. Front. Microbiol. 6:62. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.00062
Legacy Department
Department of Biological Sciences
Sponsorship
This article is made openly accessible in part by an award from the Northern Illinois University Libraries' Open Access Publishing Fund.
Language
eng
Publisher
Frontiers Media
Rights Statement
In Copyright
Rights Statement 2
Copyright © 2015 Calvo and Cary. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
