Title: COORDINATION of FUNGAL DEVELOPMENT AND SECONDARY METABOLISM

Presenter: Prof. Gerhard Braus

University: Georg August University, Germany

Time: 10:00-11:30, November 5, 2012

Venue: Room A203, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Abstract: Differentiation and secondary metabolism are correlated processes in fungi that respond to various abiotic or biotic external triggers. The velvet family of regulatory proteins plays a key role in coordinating secondary metabolism and differentiation processes as asexual or sexual sporulation and sclerotia or fruiting body formation.The velvet family shares a protein domain that is present in most parts of the fungal kingdom from chytrids to basidiomycetes. The structure of this domain will be discussed. The heterotrimeric velvet complex VelB/VeA/LaeA which includes the velvet domain proteins VelB and VeA as well as the conserved eight subunit COP9 signalosome complex are required for the link between secondary metabolism and developmental programs. The current state of the work in the laboratory will be presented.