At the metal-metabolite interface in : towards untangling the intersecting roles of zinc and gliotoxin.

Cryptic links between apparently unrelated metabolic systems represent potential new drug targets in fungi. Evidence of such a link between zinc and gliotoxin (GT) biosynthesis in is emerging. Expression of some genes of the GT biosynthetic gene cluster is influenced by the zinc-dependent transcription activator ZafA, zinc may relieve GT-mediated fungal growth inhibition and, surprisingly, GT biosynthesis is influenced by zinc availability.