LREA — Aspergillus nidulans FGSC A4

Summary

ANIA_03435, designated LREA, encodes a protein containing GATA zinc-finger and PAS domains. The LREA protein exhibits photoreceptor activity, sequence-specific DNA binding, and zinc binding, and localises to both the cytoplasm and nucleus. In Aspergillus nidulans, LREA is associated with cellular responses to blue light and glucose stimulus, osmotic sensing, rhythmic processes, and regulation of conidium formation and sexual sporulation. It is linked to secondary metabolism, including positive regulation of sterigmatocystin biosynthesis, as well as pigment, penicillin, heme, and mycotoxin anabolism. The gene is also connected to germ tube formation, spore germination, and respiration rate. Studies of related genes in other species link the LREA family to reduced virulence and red light sensitivity, though these associations are not established for A. nidulans.