Study of velvet gene, veA, in Fusarium verticillioides

Calvo, Ana

Abstract

: 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.