Aspergillus westerdijkiae is the main producer of several biologically active polyketide metabolites including isoasperlactone and asperlactone. A 5298bp polyketide synthase gene "aomsas" has been cloned in Aspergillus westerdijkiae by using gene walking approach and RACE-PCR. The predicted amino acid sequence of aomsas shows an identity of 40-56% with different methylsalicylic acid synthase ge...

UNLABELLED The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different caffeine concentrations (0-4%) on (i) lag phase prior to growth, (ii) growth rates and (iii) ochratoxin A (OTA) production by strains from the Aspergillus section Circumdati and Aspergillus section Nigri groups, isolated from coffee, when grown on a conducive medium at 0·98 water activity and 30°C. The lag phases pri...

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a common mycotoxin that contaminates food and agricultural products. Sequencing of the complete genome of Aspergillus westerdijkiae, a major producer of OTA, reveals more than 50 biosynthetic gene clusters, including a putative OTA biosynthetic gene cluster that encodes a dozen of enzymes, transporters, and regulatory proteins.

Aspergillus steynii and Aspergillus westerdijkiae are the main ochratoxin A (OTA) producing species of Aspergillus section Circumdati. Due to its recent description, few data are available about the influence of ecophysiological factors on their growth and OTA production profiles. In this work, the effect of temperature (20, 24 and 28 °C) and water activity (aw) (0.928, 0.964 and 0.995) on grow...

Aspergillus westerdijkiae, known as the major ochratoxin A (OTA) producer, usually occurs on agricultural crops, fruits, and dry-cured meats. Microorganisms produce OTA to adapt high osmotic pressure environment that is generated during food processing storage. To investigate relationship between biosynthesis osmolarity glycerol (HOG) pathway, transcription factor AwHog1 gene in A. westerdijkia...

Aspergillus section Circumdati or the Aspergillus ochraceus group, includes species with rough walled stipes, biseriate conidial heads, yellow to ochre conidia and sclerotia that do not turn black. Several species are able to produce mycotoxins including ochratoxins, penicillic acids, and xanthomegnins. Some species also produce drug lead candidates such as the notoamides. A polyphasic approach...

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a very important mycotoxin, and its research is focused right now on the new findings of OTA, like being a complete carcinogen, information about OTA producers and new exposure sources of OTA. Citrinin (CIT) is another important mycotoxin, too, and its research turns towards nephrotoxicity. Both additive and synergistic effects have been described in combination with OTA. ...