Aspergillus oryzae strains with a large deletion of the aflatoxin biosynthetic homologous gene cluster differentiated by chromosomal breakage

Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2006 Sep;72(2):339-45. doi: 10.1007/s00253-005-0282-5. Epub 2006 May 4.

Abstract

Recently we divided Aspergillus oryzae RIB strains into group 1, having seven aflatoxin biosynthesis homologous genes (aflT, nor-1, aflR, norA, avnA, verB, and vbs), and group 2, having three homologues (avnA, verB, and vbs). Here, partial aflatoxin homologous gene cluster of RIB62 from group 2 was sequenced and compared with that of RIB40 from group 1. RIB62 showed a large deletion upstream of ver-1 with more than half of the aflatoxin homologous gene cluster missing including aflR, a positive transcriptional regulatory gene. Adjacent to the deletion of the aflatoxin homologous gene cluster, RIB62 has a unique sequence of about 8 kb and a telomere. Southern analysis of A. oryzae RIB strains with four kinds of probe derived from the unique sequence of RIB62 showed that all group 2 strains have identical hybridizing signals. Polymerase chain reaction with specific primer set designed to amplify the junction between ver-1 and the unique sequence of RIB62 resulted in the same size of DNA fragment only from group 2 strains. Based on these results, we developed a useful genetic tool that distinguishes A. oryzae group 2 strains from the other groups' strains and propose that it might have differentiated from the ancestral strains due to chromosomal breakage.

MeSH terms

  • Aflatoxins / biosynthesis*
  • Aspergillus oryzae / genetics*
  • Aspergillus oryzae / metabolism
  • Base Sequence
  • Blotting, Southern
  • Chromosome Breakage*
  • Chromosomes, Fungal / genetics
  • DNA, Fungal / chemistry
  • DNA, Fungal / genetics
  • Fungal Proteins / genetics
  • Fungal Proteins / metabolism*
  • Gene Deletion*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal / genetics
  • Gene Order
  • Genes, Fungal / genetics
  • Models, Genetic
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Multigene Family / genetics*
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid

Substances

  • Aflatoxins
  • DNA, Fungal
  • Fungal Proteins

Associated data

  • GENBANK/AB176961
  • GENBANK/AB195804