Research Keyword: gene deletion mutants

Key sugar transporters drive development and pathogenicity in Aspergillus flavus

Researchers studied how Aspergillus flavus fungus transports sugars, which is crucial for its growth, producing the toxic aflatoxin that contaminates crops like corn and peanuts. By removing genes responsible for sugar transport, they found that the fungus became weak, couldn’t infect plants or animals effectively, and stopped producing the dangerous aflatoxin. This discovery could help develop new strategies to prevent aflatoxin contamination in food and reduce serious fungal infections in humans.

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SsMet1 is a critical gene in methionine biosynthesis in Sclerotinia sclerotiorum

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is a destructive plant pathogen causing white mold and other crop diseases. This study identified and deleted the SsMet1 gene, which is essential for methionine production in this fungus. Fungi lacking this gene could not grow properly, form survival structures called sclerotia, or infect plants. These findings suggest that blocking methionine biosynthesis could be a new way to develop fungicides against this important crop pathogen.

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A conserved fungal Knr4/Smi1 protein is crucial for maintaining cell wall stress tolerance and host plant pathogenesis

Researchers discovered a fungal protein called Knr4 that is essential for fungal diseases in wheat crops. This protein helps fungi survive stress and cause disease. Importantly, this protein is found in many fungal pathogens but not in other organisms, making it an ideal target for developing new disease control strategies. When this protein is removed from fungal pathogens, they lose their ability to survive stress and infect plants, suggesting it could be used to combat fungal crop diseases.

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The role of Npt1 in regulating antifungal protein activity in filamentous fungi

Researchers discovered how antifungal proteins work against a dangerous fungus (Aspergillus flavus) that damages crops and produces toxins. They found that these proteins break down the fungal cell wall and then interact with an internal fungal protein called Ntp1. By understanding exactly which part of Ntp1 the antifungal proteins bind to, scientists can now develop better treatments to protect food crops from fungal diseases.

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