ARS | Publication request: Classification, Analysis, and Release of Aspergillus flavus Gene Index Consisting of 7,218 Expressed Unique Genes

Submitted to: Germplasm Release
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: May 1, 2005
Publication Date: January 1, 2006
Citation: Yu, J., Cleveland, T.E., Bhatnagar, D., Nierman, W.C. 2006. Classification, Analysis, and Release of Aspergillus flavus Gene Index Consisting of 7,218 Expressed Unique Genes. In: The Institute for Genomic Research and The Dana Farber Cancer Institute ().

Interpretive Summary: Aflatoxins are toxic and tumor inducing natural secondary metabolites produced by the fungal molds, Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus. Contamination of agricultural commodities by aflatoxins poses a serious health hazard to animals and human beings. Due to health and food safety concerns, the mechanism of aflatoxin formation and prevention of aflatoxin contamination have been investigated in great detail. Large scale sequencing and classification of Aspergillus flavus gene through expressed sequenced tags (ESTs) is a rapid and effective method for identification of the genes involved in aflatoxin formation and promises effective control strategy being developed through biotechnology. The functional classification of Aspergillus flavus genes will help researchers in understanding the mechanism of aflatoxin formation for devising strategies to reduce or eliminate aflatoxin contamination of food and feed.

Technical Abstract: Aflatoxins are the most potent natural toxins and carcinogens. These compounds, produced by Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus, contaminate pre-harvest agricultural crops in the field and post-harvest grains during storage. In order to devise strategies to reduce and eliminate aflatoxin contamination of food and feed, analysis and classification of the expressed genes in Aspergilllus flavus have been performed. From the nearly 20,000 Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs), 7218 unique expressed open-reading frames (ORFs) have been assembled. The functional classification of these ORFs has been tentatively assigned based on the known sequences in the GenBank database using BLAST search software program. The Aspergillus flavus Gene Index was initially constructed and released at the website of The Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR) and is currently maintained and managed by The Dana Farber Cancer Institute of Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston (http://compbio.dfci.harvard.edu/tgi/cgi-bin/tgi/gimain.pl?gudbhttp://compbio.dfci.harvard.edu/tgi/cgi-bin/tgi/gimain.pl?gudb=a_flavus=a_flavus). These sequence datum with their tentative functions assigned will be used directly by international researchers in their investigation on aflatoxin biosynthesis and for reducing aflatoxin contamination of agricultural commodities.