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ARS Home » Southeast Area » New Orleans, Louisiana » Southern Regional Research Center » Food and Feed Safety Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #174066
Title: THE EFFECT OF MEDIA, TEMPERATURE, AND LIGHT ON SCLEROTIAL PRODUCTION IN 22 STRAINS OF ASPERGILLUS FLAVUS

Author
item NGUYEN, C - TULANE UNIV, NOLA
item HUNG, R - TULANE UNIV, NOLA
item SMITH, S - TULANE UNIV, NOLA
item Klich, Maren
item BENNETT, J - TULANE UNIV, NOLA

Submitted to: ASM Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/15/2005
Publication Date: 6/1/2005
Citation: Nguyen, C., Hung, R., Smith, S., Klich, M.A., Bennett, J. 2005. The effect of media, temperature, and light on sclerotial production in 22 strains of aspergillus flavus. 105th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, June 5-9, 2005. p. 52.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Sclerotia are melanized structures produced by certain species and strains of Aspergillus. We have examined sclerotial production among 22 strains of toxigenic and non-toxigenic A. flavus grown at 25 degrees C and 37 degrees C, under continuous light or darkness, and on a variety of defined and undefined media. Only half of the strains tested produced sclerotia under any growth conditions. In general, sclerotial production was not observed at 37 degrees C or in continuous light. Sclerotial production was favored on Czapek's solution agar and potato dextrose agar but not on peptone agar. Ten strains produced sclerotia on a defined medium formulated with NaNO3. No strains produced sclerotia on a medium formulated with (NH4)2SO4. On a medium formulated with NH4NO3, sclerotial production was not observed for two of the 10 sclerotial strains that produced sclerotia on NaNO3. Manipulation of sclerotial production by environmental cues may offer insights into the regulation of morphological development and guide future microarray expression studies in A. flavus.