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The Zn(II)2-Cys6-type zinc finger protein AoKap7 is involved in the growth, oxidative stress and kojic acid synthesis in Aspergillus oryzae

Summary

Researchers studied a protein called AoKap7 in a fungus used to produce kojic acid, which is found in many cosmetic and food products. By deleting this protein gene, they found that fungi grew faster but produced much less kojic acid and were more sensitive to stress. The protein works as a master switch that controls both how fast the fungus grows and how much of the valuable kojic acid it makes.

Background

Kojic acid is a valuable secondary metabolite from Aspergillus oryzae with wide applications in cosmetics, food, medicine, and agriculture. While the kojic acid gene cluster was identified in 2010, the functions of neighboring genes remain poorly understood. This study characterizes Aokap7, a gene adjacent to the kojic acid cluster encoding a zinc finger protein.

Objective

To elucidate the functional role of Aokap7 in coordinating growth, oxidative stress response, and kojic acid production in Aspergillus oryzae, and to determine its position in the regulatory network governing kojic acid synthesis.

Results

Aokap7 disruption accelerated spore germination and hyphal growth but impaired kojic acid production by 63%. Aokap7 acts upstream of both kojR and laeA, and downstream of AozfA in the regulatory network. The protein preferentially binds to the motif 5′-CGGCTCGG-3′ and directly interacts with the AoGPX1 promoter, regulating oxidative stress response.

Conclusion

Aokap7 functions as a pivotal regulator coordinating fungal growth, oxidative stress tolerance, and kojic acid synthesis in A. oryzae through regulation of ROS-scavenging genes and the kojic acid biosynthetic pathway.
  • Published in:IMA Fungus,
  • Study Type:Experimental Study,
  • Source: PMID: 41049870
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