Expanding the complex: phylogenomic insights, proposal of sp. nov. and reclassification of two species.

A novel species was isolated as a contaminant in viral transport media at the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences Public Health Laboratory. Phylogenomic and biochemical analyses of the isolate determined that it represented a novel species within . Related strains in public genome databases suggested that this novel species is associated with clinically acquired infections, similar to closely related .

Branched-chain amino acid biosynthesis in fungi.

Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs)-isoleucine, leucine, and valine-are synthesized by fungi. These amino acids are important components of proteins and secondary metabolites. The biochemical pathway for BCAA biosynthesis is well-characterized in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Duplication and Functional Divergence of Branched-Chain Amino Acid Biosynthesis Genes in Aspergillus nidulans.

Fungi, bacteria, and plants, but not animals, synthesize the branched-chain amino acids: leucine, isoleucine, and valine. While branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) biosynthesis has been well characterized in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, it is incompletely understood in filamentous fungi. The three BCAAs share several early biosynthesis steps before divergence into specific pathways.