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Combined genotyping strategy reveals structural differences between Aspergillus flavus lineages from different

Nikolett Baranyi1, Sándor Kocsubé1, Daniela Jakšić Despot2

  • 1Faculty of Science and Informatics, Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.

Journal of Basic Microbiology
|September 14, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Aspergillus flavus, a fungus found on crops and in homes, can cause disease and produce harmful aflatoxins. This study found that European isolates did not produce aflatoxins, unlike some Indian isolates.

Area of Science:

  • Mycology
  • Environmental Microbiology
  • Food Safety

Background:

  • Aspergillus flavus is a ubiquitous filamentous fungus impacting agriculture and human health.
  • This species is a known producer of aflatoxins, potent carcinogens harmful to humans and animals.
  • A. flavus is also implicated in human diseases like keratomycosis and frequently found in indoor environments.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To genetically characterize Aspergillus flavus isolates from diverse habitats.
  • To investigate the prevalence of aflatoxin production in different geographical locations and environments.
  • To determine the correlation between mating type genes and aflatoxin production.

Main Methods:

  • Isolate identification and confirmation using calmodulin gene sequencing.
  • Phylogenetic analysis employing combined UP-PCR, microsatellite, and calmodulin sequence data.
  • High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) for aflatoxin detection.
  • Analysis of mating type genes (MAT1-1 and MAT1-2) distribution.

Main Results:

  • Phylogenetic analysis revealed four distinct clusters among the A. flavus isolates.
  • A mating type gene ratio of approximately 3:1 (MAT1-1:MAT1-2) was observed.
  • No correlation was found between mating type gene presence and aflatoxin production capability.
  • None of the Central European isolates (indoor air, maize) produced aflatoxins, whereas approximately 50% of Indian isolates did.

Conclusions:

  • Geographical origin and habitat significantly influence aflatoxin production in Aspergillus flavus.
  • European A. flavus isolates from indoor air and maize do not appear to pose an aflatoxin risk under tested conditions.
  • Further research is needed to understand the genetic and environmental factors governing aflatoxin biosynthesis in different A. flavus populations.
Keywords:
Aspergillus flavusUP-PCR analysisaflatoxinsmating type genesmicrosatellite analysis

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