Abstract
Monascus species are traditional edible and medicinal filamentous fungi with a very long history in East Asia, but their sparse production of asexual spores (conidia) limits their large-scale industrial application. Previous studies have revealed that the flbA ortholog plays a negative role in the conidiation of Monascus ruber M7. FlbA, together with FlbB, FlbC, FlbD, FlbE, and FluG, were shown to be upstream development activators (UDAs) in the asexual development pathway in the model fungus Aspergillus nidulans. In the present study, homologs of these UDAs in M. ruber M7 were identified and functionally characterized. Disruption of MrflbB, MrflbD, and MrflbE delayed and decreased conidiation in M7, whereas the deletion of MrflbC or MrfluG resulted in no detectable change in sporulation. Deletion of MrflbA not only increased conidial number but also postponed sexual development in M7. Furthermore, the deletion of some UDAs also affected the production of secondary metabolites, particularly citrinin, whose yields were dramatically decreased in the ΔMrflbC and ΔMrflbA mutants. These findings provide new insights and opportunities to further explore the asexual development mechanism and modify the conidial production in Monascus spp.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
