The Loss-of-Function Mutation Leads to Enhanced α-L-Rhamnosidase Production by .

In L-rhamnose is catabolised to pyruvate and L-lactaldehyde, and the latter ultimately to L-lactate, via the non-phosphorylated pathway (LRA) encoded by the genes -, and that encodes a broad substrate range aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) that also functions in ethanol utilisation. LRA pathway expression requires both the pathway-specific transcriptional activator RhaR ( is expressed constitutively) and the presence of L-rhamnose. The deletion of severely impairs growth when L-rhamnose is the sole source of carbon and in addition it abolishes the induction of genes that respond to L-rhamnose/RhaR, indicating that an intermediate of the LRA pathway is the physiological inducer likely required to activate RhaR.

-Mediated Transformation of NHEJ Mutant Conidia: An Efficient Tool for Targeted Gene Recombination Using Selectable Nutritional Markers.

Protoplast transformation for the introduction of recombinant DNA into is technically demanding and dependant on the availability and batch variability of commercial enzyme preparations. Given the success of -mediated transformation (ATMT) in diverse pathogenic fungi, we have adapted this method to facilitate transformation of . Using suitably engineered binary vectors, gene-targeted ATMT of non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) mutant conidia has been carried out for the first time by complementation of a nutritional requirement (uridine/uracil auxotrophy).

Identification of the genes encoding the catalytic steps corresponding to LRA4 (l-2-keto-3-deoxyrhamnonate aldolase) and l-lactaldehyde dehydrogenase in Aspergillus nidulans: evidence for involvement of the loci AN9425/lraD and AN0544/aldA in the l-rhamnose catabolic pathway.

l-rhamnose is found in nature mainly as a component of structural plant polysaccharides and can be used as a carbon source by certain microorganisms. Catabolism of this sugar in bacteria, archaea and fungi occurs by two routes involving either phosphorylated or non-phosphorylated intermediates. Unlike the corresponding pathway in yeasts, the metabolic details of the non-phosphorylated pathway in filamentous fungi are not fully defined.

Advancing Veterinary Medical Education Worldwide: Where Do We Go From Here?

Veterinary medicine is a global public good. A robust system of both public and private veterinary services is essential to protect animal health. Improved animal health leads to global food security and reduces poverty by increasing productivity, controlling transboundary diseases and expanding access to international markets.

Catabolism of L-rhamnose in A. nidulans proceeds via the non-phosphorylated pathway and is glucose repressed by a CreA-independent mechanism.

L-rhamnose (6-deoxy-mannose) occurs in nature mainly as a component of certain plant structural polysaccharides and bioactive metabolites but has also been found in some microorganisms and animals. The release of L-rhamnose from these substrates is catalysed by extracellular enzymes including α-L-rhamnosidases, the production of which is induced in its presence. The free sugar enters cells via specific uptake systems where it can be metabolized.

End of veterinary school as we know it.

Disruptive innovation will transform veterinary education in the next 10 years, predicts .

Comparative genomics reveals high biological diversity and specific adaptations in the industrially and medically important fungal genus Aspergillus.

Background: The fungal genus Aspergillus is of critical importance to humankind. Species include those with industrial applications, important pathogens of humans, animals and crops, a source of potent carcinogenic contaminants of food, and an important genetic model. The genome sequences of eight aspergilli have already been explored to investigate aspects of fungal biology, raising questions about evolution and specialization within this genus.

Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC): 50 Years of History and Service.

The mission of the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) is to advance the quality of academic veterinary medicine. Founded in 1966 by the 18 US colleges of veterinary medicine and 3 Canadian colleges of veterinary medicine then in existence, the AAVMC is celebrating 50 years of public service. Initially, the AAVMC comprised the Council of Deans, the Council of Educators, and the Council of Chairs.

High-affinity glucose transport in Aspergillus nidulans is mediated by the products of two related but differentially expressed genes.

Independent systems of high and low affinity effect glucose uptake in the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans. Low-affinity uptake is known to be mediated by the product of the mstE gene. In the current work two genes, mstA and mstC, have been identified that encode high-affinity glucose transporter proteins.

The 2008 update of the Aspergillus nidulans genome annotation: a community effort.

The identification and annotation of protein-coding genes is one of the primary goals of whole-genome sequencing projects, and the accuracy of predicting the primary protein products of gene expression is vital to the interpretation of the available data and the design of downstream functional applications. Nevertheless, the comprehensive annotation of eukaryotic genomes remains a considerable challenge. Many genomes submitted to public databases, including those of major model organisms, contain significant numbers of wrong and incomplete gene predictions.

The need for public-health veterinarians as seen by future employers.

Future employers of veterinarians working in public health see a fast-growing demand. Emerging zoonotic diseases, bio-security threats, and food-safety problems all require the expertise of veterinarians with a focus on complex, global problems that span both human and animal health. The Public Health Task Force of the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges convened a group of stakeholders representing various branches of the US federal government, state and local governments, and professional societies to discuss their needs for public-health veterinarians.

AcpA, a member of the GPR1/FUN34/YaaH membrane protein family, is essential for acetate permease activity in the hyphal fungus Aspergillus nidulans.

In a previous study, alcS, a gene of the Aspergillus nidulans alc cluster, was shown to encode a protein that belongs to the GPR1/FUN34/YaaH membrane protein family. BLAST screening of the A. nidulans genome data identified additional genes encoding hypothetical proteins that could belong to this family.

The critical need for federal legislation to provide for the expansion of the veterinary workforce.

American veterinary medical education stands at a crucial point. To maintain the status quo and to meet ever-increasing societal needs within the United States and globally, it is essential that the veterinary medical profession expand its horizons and capabilities. If it does not, it will lose its current status.

Veterinary medical education for modern food systems: past, present, and brainstorming a future.

Concepts presented here were derived from breakout sessions constituted by the 90 attendees of the Veterinary Medical Education for Modern Food Systems symposium, held in Kansas City, Missouri, USA, in October 2005. The attendees were food-animal educators, veterinary faculty, college deans and administrators, and veterinarians employed in government, industry, and private practice. Discussions at these breakout sessions focused on four primary areas: (1) determining the data needed to document the current demand for food-supply veterinarians (FSVs); (2) defining the information/skills/abilities needed within veterinary school curricula to address the current demands on FSVs; (3) outlining pre-DVM educational requirements needed to support FSVs; and (4) considering the role of post-DVM programs in meeting the demand for FSVs.

Consecutive gene deletions in Aspergillus nidulans: application of the Cre/loxP system.

The ability to perform multiple gene deletions is an important tool for conducting functional genomics. We report the development of a sequential gene deletion protocol for the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans using the Cre/loxP recombinase system of bacteriophage P1. A recyclable genetic marker has been constructed by incorporating loxP direct repeats either side of the Neurospora crassa pyr-4 gene (encodes orotidine 5'-monophosphate decarboxylase) which is able to complement the A.

Identification of the mstE gene encoding a glucose-inducible, low affinity glucose transporter in Aspergillus nidulans.

The mstE gene encoding a low affinity glucose transporter active during the germination of Aspergillus nidulans conidia on glucose medium has been identified. mstE expression also occurs in hyphae, is induced in the presence of other repressing carbon sources besides glucose, and is dependent on the function of the transcriptional repressor CreA. The expression of MstE and its subcellular distribution have been studied using a MstE-sGFP fusion protein.

An interprofessional role for veterinary medicine in human health promotion and disease prevention.

In the past, veterinarians have participated in interprofessional collaboration to support the health promotion and disease prevention goals and objectives described in the United States Department of Health and Human Services' (DHHS) Healthy People 2010. Such projects have resulted from collaboration resulting from a writing competition, the DHHS's Secretary's Award for Innovations in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (Secretary's Award). The Secretary's Award, which interfaces with Healthy People 2010, has been effectively used as a means of training community-responsive veterinary students in a variety of interprofessional collaborations.

Skills, knowledge, aptitudes, and attitudes colloquium.

Three projects recently funded by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) through the National Commission on Veterinary Economic Issues (NCVEI) focused on the veterinary school applicant pool, leadership skills in the veterinary profession, and a veterinary teaching hospital business model, respectively. The Skills, Knowledge, Aptitude, and Attitude (SKAs) Colloquium was designed to present the results of these three projects, to discuss their importance for the future of the veterinary profession, and to develop action plans accordingly. In all, 24 veterinary colleges were represented at the workshop and a total of 72 attendees participated, achieving a broad representation of the veterinary profession ( both academic and non-academic).

Writing Across the Curriculum: using Healthy People 2010 and the DHHS Secretary's Award for Innovations in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention.

The authors detail a Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) exercise that combines the Department of Health and Human Services' Secretary's Award for Innovations in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (Secretary's Award) and the DHHS document Healthy People 2010. The authors discuss the writing competition as a way to encourage innovative problem solving and provide curricular instructions for using Healthy People 2010 and the Secretary's Award as a WAC exercise.