Role of the LAMMER kinase LkhA in fungal development and aflatoxin production in Aspergillus flavus

초록

A well-conserved LAMMER kinase in yeast and filamentous fungi, is a dual-specificity kinasewith multiple roles in fungal biology. In this study, we assessed the roles of LkhA in Aspergillusflavus, a toxigenic fungus that produces aflatoxin B1. lkhA deletion mutants exhibiteddefects in fungal growth, conidiophore development, and sclerotia formation. These mutantsexhibited impaired tolerance to oxidative and cell wall stresses. Moreover, the absenceof lkhA resulted in a decrease in aflatoxin B1 production. The kernel assay revealed that thelkhA deletion mutants exhibited reduced production of conidia and aflatoxin B1, implyingthat LkhA can affect fungal toxigenesis and pathogenicity. Taken together, these resultsdemonstrate that LkhA is important for differentiation, mycotoxin production, and pathogenicityin A. flavus.

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