atfB — Aspergillus nidulans FGSC A4

Summary

ANIA_08643 (atfB) on chromosome 3 of Aspergillus nidulans FGSC A4 encodes a bZIP transcription factor (Atf21) with DNA-binding transcription factor activity, specifically RNA polymerase II cis-regulatory region sequence-specific DNA binding. The gene is associated with cleistothecium formation, upregulation of aflatoxin anabolism, cellular responses to hydrogen peroxide and heat, secondary metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, and regulation of transcription by RNA polymerase II. The product localises to the nucleus. Studies of related genes in other species link the atfB family to reduced virulence, unaffected pathogenicity, and associations with ear rot in corn, yellow mold in peanut, invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, and model hosts including Galleria mellonella, Zea mays, and Mus musculus.