1. A short introduction

2.  Phylogenetic tree  A. nidulans specific  A. nidulans as a model organism  Reproduction cycles  A. nidulans vs. A. niger

3.  Largest Phylum of fungi (over 64.000) species  Defining sexual feature: the ascus.

4.  Filamentous fungi  Fission rather then budding Binary Fission Budding

5. Cleistothecium plate of medium with A nidulans culture Order: Eurotiales The green and blue molds

6.  Aggresive colonization strategies  Adaptable to extreme environmental conditions ◦ For A. nidulans:  Temperature 10-45 o C  pH 2.5-11  NaCl concentration<4.0 M

7.  Highly aerobic  Oligotrophy  Commercially the most important fungi Citric acid http://aspergillusblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/aspergillus-produced-most-of-worlds.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspergillus

8.  Creates a cleistothecium with ascus inside in the sexual cycle  Filamentous  Cells divide by fission  Green cultures  Can live under ‘extreme’ conditions  Highly aerobic  oligotroph

9.  Synonym: Aspergillus nidulellus  Teleomorph: Emericella nidulans  Anamorph: Aspergillus nidulans  Homothallic  Sexual, asexual and parasexual reproduction  Model organism

10. http://www.nature.com/nrg/journal/v3/n9/box/nrg889_BX1.html

11. Why A. nidulans has been chosen as a model organism Small part of the phylogenetic tree http://www.broadinstitute.org/annotation/genome/aspergillus_group/MultiHome.html

12. Sexual development in E. nidulans http://www.nature.com/nprot/journal/v2/n4/fig_tab/nprot.2007.112_F1.html

13. Asexual development in A. nidulans http://www.nature.com/nprot/journal/v2/n4/fig_tab/nprot.2007.112_F1.html

14. Parasexual cycle in A. nidulans http://www.nature.com/nprot/journal/v2/n4/fig_tab/nprot.2007.112_F1.html

15.  Pulmonary infection  Cutaneous aspergillosis  Maxillary sinus disease  Guttural pouch mycosis (in horses)  Cerebral abscess  Endophtalmitis  Osteomyelitis  Superficial infections  Disseminated infections The atlas of clinical fungi p486 http://www.doctorfungus.org/thefungi/Aspergillus_nidulans.php

16.  Cell biology  Gene regulation  Mitosis  Intracellular functions of mitotic motors  Carbon & nitrogen regulation  Cell cycle  Fungal protein secretion  Gene regulation  Cell wall biosynthesis  Cell morphology  Carbon metabolism  Nutrient transport  Effects of environmental factors on enzyme production  Industrial use http://www.broadinstitute.org/annotation/genome/aspergillus_group/GenomeDescriptions.html

17.  Sexual cycle  8 chromosomes  At least 9 cell types  Research focused on gene control  No sexual cycle  8 chromosomes  Research focused on protein production and excretion www.broadinstitute.org/annotation/fungi/fgi/sample_whitepaper.pdfnature.com/nbt/journal/v25/n2/fig_tab/nbt1282_F2.html www.broadinstitute.org/annotation/genome/aspergillus_group/Genome Descriptions.html