CotA-mediated transcriptional responses to carbon source diversity in Aspergillus fumigatus

Aspergillus fumigatus CotA is a conserved, Nuclear Dbf2-Related (NDR) kinase that is required for growth in conditions where non-carbohydrates are provided as the sole carbon source. The activation of broad-scale transcriptional regulatory programs, like the carbon catabolite repression system, are major mechanisms through which microbes conserve energy and ensure optimal growth in response diverse nutritional environments. This study aimed to characterize the global transcriptional response of A. fumigatus when cultured in glucose, acetate or ethanol using both wild type (strain CEA10) and mutant (cotA gene disruption) strains to test the hypothesis that CotA regulates cellular transcriptional reprogramming in response carbon diversity.