RNA-seq of Aspergillus sydowii growing in three different salinity conditions

The mechanisms of cellular and molecular adaptation of fungi to salinity have been commonly drawn from halotolerant strains, although some exceptions in basidiomycete fungi can be found. These studies have been conducted in settings where cells are subjected to stress, either hypo or hyperosmotic, which can be a confounding factor in describing physiological mechanisms related to salinity. Here, we have studied transcriptomic changes in Aspergillus sydowii, a halophilic species, when growing in three different salinity conditions (No salt, 0.5M and 2.0M NaCl). In this fungus salinity related responses occur under high salinity (2.0M NaCl) and not when cultured under optimal conditions (0.5M NaCl), suggesting that in this species, most of the mechanisms described for halophilic growth are a consequence of saline stress response and not an adaptation to saline conditions. Overall design: A. sydowii grown on wheat straw without NaCl or with 0.5M NaCl and 2.0M NaCl