Research

Gene Regulation and Metabolism.

Professor Michael Hynes FAA
Assoc. Prof. Meryl Davis

Fungi are widespread and diverse members of the biosphere. They include significant plant and animal pathogens, cause food spoilage and are used in industrial fermentations and in the food industry. Obviously an understanding of the ways in which fungi adjust the expression of genes in response to changes in their metabolic requirements is of fundamental significance.

Aspergillus nidulans provides an excellent experimental system. It is easy to grow in the laboratory, it is haploid so mutants can be readily isolated and it has a good genetic system. A variety of molecular tools, including a transformation system allow us to manipulate sequences in vitro and then re-introduce this DNA into the organism. The genome sequence of Aspergillus nidulans is now available.

Aspergillus nidulans

Aspergillus nidulans produces red ascospores in unordered asci

Our research programme is aimed at studying the mechanisms that are used to turn genes on and off in response to changes in the availability of carbon and nitrogen sources. We also are investigating the role of different metabolic pathways in the use of different nutrient sources and the cellular localisation of the relevant enzymes.

Subcellular localization of NADP-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase in Aspergillus nidulans hyphae grown in 1% glucose as a carbon source, visualized by immunostaining. In these conditions NADP-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase encoded by a single gene is detected in both peroxisomes (green) and mitochondria (yellow) but not in nuclei (blue).

The transcription factor AreA accumulates in nuclei of nitrogen-starved A. nidulans hyphae

Aspergillus links:
Fungal Genetics Stock Centre http://www.fgsc.net/

Recent Publications

Hynes/Davis Lab Personnel