Skip to main content

Modern Approaches to the Taxonomy of Aspergillus

  • Chapter
The Genus Aspergillus

Part of the book series: Federation of European Microbiological Societies Symposium Series ((FEMS,volume 69))

Abstract

Techniques from molecular biology have provided a series of new tools for the analysis of diversity in the fungi. These techniques have been applied to a variety of fungal groups but only rather limited work has been done on the genus Aspergillus, which is surprising considering the economic importance of species within the genus. The availability of a detailed molecular genetic systems in Aspergillus nidulans has been of considerable help in providing a scientific base, but it appears on the whole that molecular geneticists have not been very interested in the taxonomy of the genus. However, a need to study the epidemiology, detection, diagnosis, identification, classification, characterisation and quantification of Aspergillus has resulted in an increasing interest in the taxonomic basis for differences within the genus. This has made it essential that closer links are forged between molecular biologists and taxonomists.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 249.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Amann, R.I., Krumholz, L. and Stahl, D.A. (1990) Fluorescent-oligonucleotide probing of whole cells for determinative, phylogenetic and environmental studies in microbiology. J. Bact. 172, 762–770.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Aufauvre-Brown, A., Cohen, J. and Holden, D.W. (1992) Use of randomly amplified polymorphic DNA markers to distinguish isolates of Aspergillus fumigatus. J. Clinical Micro. 30, 2991–2993.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bainbridge, B.W., Spreadbury, C.L., Scalise, E.G. and Cohen, J. (1990) Improved methods for the preparation of high molecular weight DNA from large and small scale cultures of filamentous fungi. FEMS Micro. Lett. 66, 113–118.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Barns, S.M., Lane, D.J., Sogin, M.L., Bibneau, C. and Weisberg, W.G . (1991) Evolutionary relationships among Candida species and relatives. J. Bact 173, 2250–2255.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bell, S.P., Pikaard, C.S., Reeder, R.H. and Tjian, R. (1989) Molecular mechanisms governing species-specific transcription of ribosomal RNA. Cell 59, 489–497.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Buchko, J. and Klassen, G.R. (1990) Detection of length heterogeneity in the ribosomal DNA of Pythium ultimum by PCR amplification of the intergenic region. Curr. Genet. 18, 203–205.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chang, J., Oyaizu, H. and Sugiyama, J (1991) Phylogenetic relationships among eleven selected species of Aspergillus and associated teleomorphic genera estimated from 18S ribosomal RNA partial sequences. J. Gen. Appl. Microbiol. 37, 289–308.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Crowhurst, R.N., Hawthorne, B.T., Rikkerink, E.H.A. and Templeton, M.D. (1991) Differentiation of Fusarium solani f.sp. Cucurbitae races 1 and 2 by random amplification of polymorphic DNA. Curr. Genet. 20, 391–396.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dover, G.A. and Flavell, R.B. (1984) Molecular co-evolution : DNA divergence and the maintenance of function. Cell 38, 622–623.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dutta, S.K. and Verma, M. (1990) Primary structure of the nontranscribed spacer region and flanking sequences of the ribosomal DNA of Neurospora crassa and comparison with other organisms. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm. 170, 187–193.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Eckert, K.A. and Kunkel, T.A. (1991) The fidelity of DNA polymerases used in the polymerase chain reactions in “PCR a practical approach” (McPherson, M.J., Quirke, P. and Taylor, G.R. Eds.) pp 225–244. IRL Press, Oxford. Edman, J.C.

    Google Scholar 

  • Edman, J. C., Kovacs, J. A., Masur, H., Santi, D. V., Elwood, H. J. and Sogin, M. L. (1988) Ribosomal RNA sequence shows Pneumocystis carnii to be a member of the fungi. Nature, 334, 519–522.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fournier, P., Gaillardin, C., Persuy, M., Klootwijk, J. and van Heerikhuizen, H. (1986) Heterogeneity in the ribosomal family of the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica : genomic organisation and segregation analysis. Gene 42, 273–282.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Garber, R.C., Turgeon, B.G., Selker, E.U. and Yoder, O.C. (1988) Organisation of the ribosomal RNA genes in the fungus Cochliobolus heterotrophus. Curr. Genetics 14, 573–582.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Giovannoni, S.J., DeLong, E.F., Olsen, G.J. and Pace, N.R. (1988) Phylogenetic group-specific oligodeoxynucleotide probes for identification of single microbial cells. J. Bact. 170 720–726.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Goodwin, P.H. and Annis, S.L. (1991) Rapid identification of Genetic Variation and pathotype of Leptosphaeria maculans by Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA assay. Appl. Environ. Micro. 57, 2482–2486.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jefferys, A.J., MacLeod, A., Tanaki, K., Neil, D.L. and Monckton, D.G. (1991) Minisatellite repeat coding as a digital approach to DNA typing. Nature, 354, 201–209.

    Google Scholar 

  • Klich, M.A. and Pitt, J.I. (1988) A laboratory guide to common Aspergillus species and their teleomorphs. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kovacs, J.A., Masur, H., Santi, D.V., Elwood, H.J. and Sogin, M.L. (1988) Ribosomal RNA sequence shows Pneumocystis carnii to be a member of the fungi. Nature, 334, 519–522.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lockington, R.A., Taylor, G.G., Winther, M., Scazzocchio, C. and Davies, R.W. (1982) A physical map of the ribosomal DNA repeat unit of Aspergillus nidulans. Gene 20, 135–137.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Metzenberg, R.L. (1991) Benefactors’ lecture: the impact of molecular biology on mycology. Mycol. Res. 95, 9–13.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Meyer, W., Koch, A., Niemann, C., Beyermann, B., Epplen, J.T. and Borner, X. (1991) Differentiation of species and strains among filamentous fungi by DNA fingerprinting. Curr. Genet 19, 239–242.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Moens, W. (1992) Fast design of Fungal PCR Markers. Proceedings of the Ist European Conference on Fungal Genetics at Nottingham August 1992 P2/58.

    Google Scholar 

  • Neefs, J., de Peer, Y., de Rijk, P., Goris, A. and de Wachter, R. (1991) Compilation of small ribosomal subunit RNA sequences. Nuc. Acids Res. 19 suppl., 1987–2015.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pace, N.R., Olsen, G.J. and Woese, C.R. (1986) Ribosomal RNA phytogeny and the primary lines of evolutionary descent. Cell 45, 325–326.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Payne, G.A., Nystrom, G.J., Bhatnagar, D. Cleveland, T.E. and Woloshuk, C.P. (1993) Cloning of the afl-2 gene involved in aflatoxin biosynthesis from Aspergillus flavus. Appl. Environ. Micro. 59, 156–162.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rijk, de P., Neefs, J., Van de Peer, Y. and de Wachter, R. (1992) Compilation of small ribosomal RNA sequences. Nuc. Acids Res. 20 suppl. 2075–2089.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Skryabin, K.G., Eldarov, M.A., Larionov, V.I., Bayev, A.A., Klootwijk, J., Regt, V.C.H.F., Veldman, G.M., Planta, R.J., Georgiev, O.I. and Hadjiiolov, A.A. (1984) Structure and function of the nontranscribed spacer region of yeast rDNA. Nuc. Acid. Res.12, 2955–2968.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sober, E. (1989) Reconstructing the past: Parsimony, evolution, and inference. M.T Press, Cambridge, MA, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sogin, M.L. and Gunderson, J.H. (1987) Structural diversity of eukaryotic small subunit ribosomal RNAs. Evolutionary implications. Annals N.Y. Acad.Sciences 503, 125–139.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Spreadbury, C.X., Bainbridge, B.W. and Cohen, J. (1990) Restriction fragment length polymorphisms in isolates of Aspergillus fumigatus probed with part of the intergenic spacer region from the ribosomal RNA gene complex of Aspergillus nidulans . J. Gen. Microbiol. 136, 1991–1994.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Spreadbury, C.L., Holden, D., Aufauvre-Brown, A., Bainbridge, B.W. and Cohen, J. (1993) Detection of Aspergillus fumigatus by the polymerase chain reaction. J. Clin. Microbiol. 31, 615–621.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Swofford, D.L. and Olsen, G.J. (1990) Phylogeny reconstruction in “Molecular Systematics” (Hillis, D.M. and Moritz, C., Eds.) pp. 411–501. Sinhauer, Sunderland, Mass, U.S.A.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tautz, D., Tautz, C., Webb, D. and Dover, G.A. (1987) Evolutionary divergence of promoters and spacers in the rDNA family of four Drosophila species. Implications for molecular co-evolution in multigene families. J. Mol. Biol. 195, 525–542.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Verma, M. and Dutta, S.K. (1987) Phylogenetic implications of the heterogeneity of the nontranscribed spacer of rDNA repeating unit in various Neurospora and related fungal species. Curr. Genet. 11, 309–314.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wakefield, A.E., Peters, S.E., Banjeri, S., Bridge, P.D., Hall, G.S., Hawksworth, D.L., Guiver, L.A., Allen, A.G. and Hopkin, J.M. (1992) Pneumocystis carnii shows DNA homology with the usomycetous red fungi. Molec. Microbiol. 6, 1903–1911.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Welsh, J., Petersen, C. and McClelland, M. (1991) Polymorphisms generated by arbitrarily primed PCR in the mouse: application to strain identification and genetic mapping. Nucl. Acid Res. 19, 303–306.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • White, T.J., Bruns, T., Lee, S. and Taylor, J. (1990) Amplification and direct sequencing of fungal ribosomal RNA genes for phylogenetics, in “PCR Protocols: a Guide to Methods and Applications” (Innis, M.A., Gelfand, D.H., Sninsky, J.J. and White, T.J. Eds.) pp. 315–322. Acad. Press, Inc. San Diego.

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams, J.G.K., Kubelik, A.R., Livak, K.J., Rafalski, J.A. and Tingey, S.V. (1991) DNA polymorphisms amplified by arbitrary primers are useful as genetic markers. Nuc. Acid Res. 18, 6531–6535.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1994 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Bainbridge, B.W. (1994). Modern Approaches to the Taxonomy of Aspergillus . In: Powell, K.A., Renwick, A., Peberdy, J.F. (eds) The Genus Aspergillus . Federation of European Microbiological Societies Symposium Series, vol 69. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0981-7_22

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0981-7_22

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4899-0983-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4899-0981-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics