Unlocking the Secrets Behind Secondary Metabolism: A Review ofAspergillus flavusfrom Pathogenicity to Functional Genomics

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Abstract
Aspergillus flavus has received a considerable amount of attention due to its ability to produce aflatoxin, a secondary metabolite that is both immunosuppressive and carcinogenic to animals and humans. Research on aflatoxin over the last 40 years has made it one of the best studied fungal secondary metabolites. In spite of the large volume of research in this area, many unanswered questions remain concerning the genetic regulation of aflatoxin production and the molecular signals that intimately associate the synthesis of aflatoxin with specific environmental and nutritional conditions. It is anticipated that the tools now available in the field of genomics will build upon our existing knowledge and provide answers to some of these questions. Complete genome sequences are now available for a number of fungal species that are closely related to A. flavus. This information can be used along with current genomic analyses in A. flavus to more closely examine the biosynthesis and regulation of secondary metabo...