Abstract
The filamentous fungus Aspergillus fumigatus is the most prevalent
airborne fungal pathogen causing severe and usually
fatal invasive aspergillosis in immunocompromised patients.
This fungus produces a large number of small hydrophobic
asexual spores called conidia as the primary means of reproduction,
cell survival, propagation, and infectivity. The initiation,
progression, and completion of asexual development
(conidiation) is controlled by various regulators that govern
expression of thousands of genes associated with formation
of the asexual developmental structure conidiophore, and
biogenesis of conidia. In this review, we summarize key regulators
that directly or indirectly govern conidiation in this
important pathogenic fungus. Better understanding these
developmental regulators may provide insights into the improvement
in controlling both beneficial and detrimental
aspects of various Aspergillus species.
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