Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 27, 2026

Quantitative Analysis of Aspergillus nidulans Growth Rate using Live Microscopy and Open-Source Software
11:30

Quantitative Analysis of Aspergillus nidulans Growth Rate using Live Microscopy and Open-Source Software

Published on: July 24, 2021

4.3K

Apical control of conidiation in Aspergillus nidulans

Elixabet Oiartzabal-Arano1, Elixabet Perez-de-Nanclares-Arregi1, Eduardo A Espeso2

  • 1Biochemistry II Laboratory, Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of The Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Manuel de Lardizabal, 3, 20018, San Sebastian, Spain.

Current Genetics
|January 20, 2016
PubMed

Insights

This review explores how filamentous fungi, like Aspergillus nidulans, use hyphal polarity to signal from the cell tip to the nucleus, controlling development and infection. Understanding this communication is key to fungal pathogenesis.

Area of Science:

  • Mycology
  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Filamentous fungi have a two-stage infection cycle: invasion (growth) and dispersion (development).
  • Hyphae, the vegetative cells of fungi, facilitate rapid host invasion through germination, polar extension, and branching.
  • Asexual spore formation (conidiation) under stress enables dissemination and new infections.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the current understanding of the upstream developmental activation (UDA) pathway in Aspergillus nidulans.
  • To elucidate the tip-to-nucleus communication mechanism governing fungal development.
  • To highlight the critical role of hyphal polarity in this signaling pathway.

Main Methods:

  • This review synthesizes existing research on fungal development and signaling pathways.
  • Focuses on the model organism Aspergillus nidulans to study conidiation induction.
  • Examines the transduction of signals from hyphal tips to nuclei.

Main Results:

  • The UDA pathway mediates the signal transduction from hyphal tips to nuclei.
  • Hyphal polarity is essential for the efficient transmission of developmental signals.
  • Apical signaling is coupled with the transcriptional control of fungal development.

Conclusions:

  • Tip-to-nucleus communication, dependent on hyphal polarity, is crucial for fungal development and pathogenesis.
  • Further research into this mechanism can provide insights into controlling fungal infections.
  • Understanding apical signal transduction is vital for filamentous fungi research.
Keywords:
Asexual reproductionCentral developmental pathwayConidiationFilamentous fungiPolar growthUpstream developmental activation

More Related Videos

Sexual Development and Ascospore Discharge in Fusarium graminearum08:20

Sexual Development and Ascospore Discharge in Fusarium graminearum

Published on: March 29, 2012

22.8K
Live Imaging of Antifungal Activity by Human Primary Neutrophils and Monocytes in Response to A. fumigatus12:29

Live Imaging of Antifungal Activity by Human Primary Neutrophils and Monocytes in Response to A. fumigatus

Published on: April 19, 2017

10.8K

Related Concept Videos

Fungal Phylum Ascomycota01:28

Fungal Phylum Ascomycota

Phylum Ascomycota, a major division within the subkingdom Dikarya, comprises a diverse range of fungal species, including both unicellular yeasts and filamentous molds such as Aspergillus and Penicillium. These fungi thrive in a variety of habitats, from aquatic ecosystems to terrestrial environments, playing crucial ecological and economic roles.Morphology and ReproductionThe defining characteristic of Ascomycetes, commonly referred to as sac fungi, is the ascus—a sac-like structure that...
2.4K
Yeast Signaling01:28

Yeast Signaling

Yeasts are single-celled organisms, but unlike bacteria, they are eukaryotes (cells with a nucleus). Cell signaling in yeast is similar to signaling in other eukaryotic cells. A ligand, such as a protein or a small molecule released from a yeast cell, attaches to a receptor on the cell surface. The binding stimulates second-messenger kinases to activate or inactivate transcription factors that further regulate gene expression. Many of the yeast intracellular signaling cascades have similar...
18.5K
Gene Regulation During Sporulation01:17

Gene Regulation During Sporulation

Sporulation is a complex developmental process that allows certain Gram-positive bacteria, such as Bacillus subtilis and Clostridium species, to survive extreme environmental conditions. This process is tightly regulated by a series of signaling cascades and transcriptional controls, ensuring the formation of a highly resistant endospore.Sporulation is triggered by unfavorable conditions, such as nutrient depletion, and is governed by a phosphorelay system. One of the sensor kinases, such as...
635
Anaphase Promoting Complex00:50

Anaphase Promoting Complex

The stepwise destruction of specific proteins is necessary for the progression and completion of the cell cycle. Such proteins are ubiquitinated by ubiquitin ligases and then subsequently destroyed by the proteasome. The SCF (Skp1/Cullin/F-box) and the anaphase-promoting complex (APC) are two important ubiquitin ligases involved in cell cycle progression. While SCF is active throughout the cell cycle, APC gets activated during metaphase to anaphase transition. Cdc20 or Cdh1 binds to APC and...
3.5K