ERG6 — Aspergillus nidulans FGSC A4

Summary

AnERG6 (ANIA_07146) on chromosome 4 of Aspergillus nidulans encodes a sterol 24-C-methyltransferase, a member of the Erg6/SMT methyltransferase family. The gene is associated with ergosterol anabolism, methylation, and oxidative phosphorylation, and its product localises to the endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, and adiposomes. AnERG6 is associated with abnormal filamentous growth, plasma membrane morphology, and cell cycle progression through the G2/M phase transition, as well as increased polyploidy and aneuploidy, decreased endocytosis and cell fusion, and absent anaerobic growth and hyperosmotic stress resistance. Studies of related genes in other species connect the family to reduced virulence and traits such as cell membrane stability and oxidative stress response.