The Aspergillus fumigatus StuA protein governs the up-regulation of a discrete transcriptional program during the acquisition of developmental competence

Members of the Asm1p, Phd1p, Sok2p, Efg1p, and StuAp (APSES) family of fungal proteins regulate morphogenesis and virulence in ascomycetes. We cloned the Aspergillus fumigatus APSES gene encoding StuAp and demonstrated that stuA transcription is markedly up-regulated after the acquisition of developmental competence. A. fumigatus ΔstuA mutants were impaired in their ability to undergo asexual reproduction. Conidiophore morphology was markedly abnormal, and only small numbers of dysmorphic conidia were produced, which exhibited precocious germination. Whole genome transcriptional analysis during the onset of developmental competence was performed and identified a subset of developmentally regulated genes that were stuA dependent, including a cluster of putative secondary metabolite biosynthesis genes, genes encoding proteins implicated in the regulation of morphogenesis, and genes encoding allergens and other antigenic proteins. Additionally, hyphae of the ΔstuA mutant displayed reduced expression of the catalase gene CAT1 and were hypersusceptible to hydrogen peroxide.