Promoter elements involved in the expression of the Aspergillus parasiticus aflatoxin biosynthesis pathway gene avnA

One of the early genes in aflatoxin biosynthesis, avnA, encodes a pathway-s pecific cytochrome P-450 monooxygenase that catalyzes the hydroxylation of the polyketide anthraquinone, averantin. Based on beta-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter and electrophoretic mobility shift assays, promoter sites upstream of -118 bp in the 367-bp verB-avnA intergenic region are not required for avnA gene activity. Therefore, only the -100 to -110 site of the four putat ive binding sites for AFLR, the aflatoxin biosynthetic pathway transcriptio n regulatory protein (consensus binding sequence: 5'-TCGN(5)CGR-3') was req uired for elevated avnA expression. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All righ ts reserved.