Evaluation of the Aflatoxin Biosynthetic Genes for Identification of the Aspergillus Section Flavi

Abstract

Several fungi in the Aspergillus section Flavi have been widely used for fermentative food production, while some related species in the section are known to produce mycotoxin(s) that causes mycotic diseases. Common evolutionary markers, such as rRNA gene sequences and their internal transcribed spacers, cannot differentiate these non-aflatoxinproducing species from aflatoxin producers. Multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) based on four aflatoxin biosynthetic genes encoding aflR, aflT, norA, and vbs, which are more variable nucleotide sequences than rRNA genes, can distinguish safe koji molds, A. oryzae and A. sojae, from aflatoxin-producing strains, A. flavus, A. toxicarius and A. parasiticus.

MALDI-TOF-MS-based species identification and typing approaches in medical mycology

“…In fact, A. oryzae is probably derived from an atoxigenic A. flavus lineage through human selection . Several PCR‐based methods exist for typing within this complex , but discrimination with MALDI‐TOF spectra made from A. flavus , A. oryzae , Aspergillus parasiticus , and Aspergillus sojae conidia was not possible as the few peaks seen were essentially identical . In a later study employing cluster analyses, A. flavus and A. parasiticus clustered apart , but neither A. oryzae nor A. sojae was included into that particular study.…”