Aspergillus oryzae strain with improved conidiation after light stimulation

Abstract

The influence of light on the development of asexual spores is an example to elucidate the effect of environmental factors on fungi. Well-studied fungus Aspergillus nidulans produces more conidia under the light condition than under the dark condition, whereas RIB 40, a standard strain of A. oryzae, produces more conidia under the dark condition. In this study, we found that an A. oryzae strain (RIB 1187) responded positively to incubation under light and resulted in better conidia count as compared to that in the dark. We studied the gene expression of RIB 1187 and found that four homologous genes of A. nidulans (up-regulated genes by light) were also up-regulated in RIB 1187 under the light condition.