ABSTRACT
Berlin University of Technology, Institute of Biotechnology, Department of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25, 13355 Berlin, Germany.
* Corresponding author: vera.meyer@tu-berlin.de
The kingdom of fungi covers a large and diverse group of lower eukaryotes which includes about 100,000 known species and presumably a million yet to be described and characterized (Hawksworth 1991). Fungi range from unicellular (yeasts) to multicellular organisms (fi lamentous fungi) and are diverse in morphology, physiology and ecology. Among the group of fi lamentous fungi, the genus Aspergillus is of considerable importance for industrial biotechnology. Their ability to grow on rather simple and inexpensive substrates as well as their natural capacity to secrete high amounts of hydrolytic proteins into the environment combined with its ability to synthesize and secrete various organic acids have attracted considerable interest to exploit them as production organisms in biotechnology and food industry. Important industrial production hosts include A. niger, A. awamori (a subspecies of the Aspergillus section Nigri (Perrone et al. 2011)), A. oryzae, A. sojae and A. terreus. In general, most members of the genus Aspergillus are saprophytic and are of vital importance for nutrient cycling and the function of ecosystems. However, few Aspergilli are pathogenic causing detrimental effects on plants and humans such as A. fl avus, A. parasiticus and A. fumigatus.
