Fungal gene regulation

Emeritus Professor Herb Arst’s group does basic research on the control of gene expression using the model filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans.  Current research interest is focused on the regulation of gene expression by ambient pH and calcium signalling and homeostasis.  The pH regulatory system controls expression of genes involved in metabolite (eg toxins and antibiotics) export, extracellular enzymes and nutrient uptake and its functioning is crucial for fungal infections of both plants and animals.  The calcium project originated from the identification of a novel mutational combination which results in strains requiring high levels of calcium for growth and an indicator activity which reflects calcium status.  Work done elsewhere indicates that perturbation of calcium signalling/homeostasis is likely to prevent fungal virulence as well.

 

A mechanistic model showing a number of features of the pH regulatory system in Aspergillus

Reprinted from Trends in Genetics 19, H.N. Arst, Jr. & M.A. Penalva, pH regulation in Aspergillus and parallels with higher eukaryotic regulatory systems, pp 224-231, 2003 with permission from Elsevier