Study of velvet gene, veA, in Fusarium verticillioides

描述(由申请人提供)：该项目的长期目标是研究可能的分子策略，通过针对真菌特有的主要调控基因来控制真菌对人类健康的有害影响。PI将把重点放在真菌毒素生产商弗西里奥德镰刀菌上。调控信号基因在真菌物种中往往是保守的。PI的实验室小组已经证明，天鹅绒，或VEA，是一种全球调控基因，控制曲霉属物种的形态发育和次生代谢，模式真菌Nidulans曲霉和植物病原体Aspergillusparasiticus。有趣的是，PI发现VEA在其他属的真菌中也是保守的，包括轮叶镰刀菌。这种VEA只在真菌中发现。黄萎病经常侵染美国的玉米作物，产生真菌毒素伏马菌素。伏马菌素抑制鞘磷脂的生物合成，导致白质脑软化、肺水肿、动物肝癌发生和人类食道癌。缺失Vea的事实表明，Vea在细胞内的各种过程中都是必需的，并可能在黄萎病的传播、寄主植物的定植和真菌毒素的产生中起重要作用。通过在黄萎病菌中产生一个缺失突变体，并通过对缺失表型的研究，来探索Vea在该真菌中的作用。这些研究将为以保守的真菌调节基因Vea为靶点以保护影响人类健康的食品供应的可能性提供必要的基础。

DESCRIPTION (provided by the applicant): The long term goal of this project is to investigate possible molecular strategies to control the detrimental effects of fungi on human health by targeting major regulatory genes that are unique to fungi. The PI will focus on the mycotoxin producer, Fusarium vercillioides. Regulatory signaling genes tend to be conserved among fungal species. The Pi's laboratory group has demonstrated that velvet, or veA, is a global regulatory gene that controls both morphological development and secondary metabolism in species of the genus Aspergillus, the model fungus Aspergillus nidulans and in the plant pathogen Aspergillus parasiticus. Interestingly, the PI found veA to be conserved also in fungi of other genera, including F. veriticillioides. The veA has only been found in fungi. Fusarium verticillioides often infests US corn crops, producing the mycotoxin fumonisin. Fumonisins inhibit sphingolipid biosynthesis leading to leukoencephalomalacia, pulmonary edema, hepatocarcinogenesis in animals and to human esophageal cancer. The fact that deletion of veA shows pleitotrophic effects suggests that veA is necessary for various processes in the cell and could be important in F. verticillioides dissemination, colonization of host plants and mycotoxin production. The PI intends to explore the role of veA in F. verticillioides by the generation of a deletion mutant in this fungus and through the study of the deletion phenotype. These studies will provide an essential foundation on the potential of targeting the conserved fungal regulatory gene veA, to protect food supplies that impact human health.