The Aspergillus nidulans esdC (early sexual development) gene is necessary for sexual development and is controlled by veA and a heterotrimeric G protein.

The esdC (early sexual development) gene was isolated by using an expressed sequence tag (EST) as a probe from a genomic library of the early sexual developmental stage mycelia of Aspergillus nidulans. The sequence analysis revealed that the esdC gene contains a 59bp intron and encodes a 266 amino acid polypeptide with a calculated molecular weight of 29.4kDa.