abaA ("abacus") is a TEA/ATTS-domain transcription factor that controls the middle stage of asexual sporulation (conidiation) in Aspergillus nidulans. Activated by the master regulator BrlA, AbaA drives differentiation of the phialides — the sporogenous cells that bud off conidia — and is required for the terminal stages of conidiophore development. AbaA binds the sequence 5'-CATTCY-3' in the cis-regulatory regions of many developmentally regulated structural genes and of the regulatory genes brlA, wetA and abaA itself, thereby coupling the brlA -> abaA -> wetA central regulatory pathway. Loss of abaA produces aberrant, beaded ("abacus") conidiophores that make metula-like cells instead of phialides and fail to produce conidia.
| GO Term | Evidence | Action | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| GO:0006357 regulation of transcription by RNA polymerase II | IBA GO_REF:0000033 | ACCEPT | Summary: Core process. AbaA regulates RNA Pol II transcription of developmental genes. Reason: AbaA binds cis-regulatory elements of many developmentally controlled genes; IBA is concordant with direct evidence (PMID:8139553). |
| GO:0000981 DNA-binding transcription factor activity, RNA polymerase II-specific | IBA GO_REF:0000033 | ACCEPT | Summary: Core molecular function. AbaA is an RNA Pol II transcription factor. Reason: Concordant with the direct IDA annotation to GO:0003700 (PMID:8139553). |
| GO:0005667 transcription regulator complex | IBA GO_REF:0000033 | ACCEPT | Summary: Accept. AbaA acts within a transcription regulator complex. Reason: As a sequence-specific TF regulating structural and regulatory genes, membership of a transcription regulator complex is reasonable and consistent. |
| GO:0000978 RNA polymerase II cis-regulatory region sequence-specific DNA binding | IBA GO_REF:0000033 | ACCEPT | Summary: Core molecular function. AbaA binds a specific Pol II cis-regulatory sequence (CATTCY). Reason: Footprinting and gel-shift assays showed AbaA binds 5'-CATTCY-3' in cis-regulatory regions of developmental genes. Supporting Evidence: PMID:8139553 Multiple AbaA binding sites are present in the cis-acting regulatory regions of several developmentally controlled structural genes as well as those of the upstream regulatory gene brlA, the downstream regulatory gene wetA, and abaA itself |
| GO:0003700 DNA-binding transcription factor activity | IEA GO_REF:0000002 | ACCEPT | Summary: Core molecular function (electronic). DNA-binding transcription factor activity. Reason: Consistent with direct experimental IDA evidence (PMID:8139553). |
| GO:0005634 nucleus | IEA GO_REF:0000044 | ACCEPT | Summary: Accept. Nuclear localization expected for a transcription factor. Reason: UniProt subcellular-location mapping; consistent with AbaA's DNA-binding TF role. |
| GO:0006355 regulation of DNA-templated transcription | IEA GO_REF:0000002 | ACCEPT | Summary: Accept. Regulation of DNA-templated transcription (parent term). Reason: General parent of the specific Pol II regulation annotations; consistent with AbaA function. |
| GO:0005634 nucleus | ISS GO_REF:0000024 | ACCEPT | Summary: Accept. Nuclear localization by sequence similarity. Reason: ISS nuclear localization is consistent with the TF role and other nucleus annotations. |
| GO:0070787 conidiophore development | IMP PMID:20966095 AbaA and WetA govern distinct stages of Aspergillus fumigatu... | ACCEPT | Summary: Core process. AbaA is required for conidiophore development. Reason: AbaA is required for the terminal stages of conidiophore development; cross-species work in A. fumigatus places AfuAbaA downstream of BrlA in the middle developmental stage. Supporting Evidence: PMID:20966095 The AfuabaA gene is predicted to encode an ATTS/TEA DNA-binding domain protein and is activated by AfuBrlA during the middle stage |
| GO:0048315 conidium formation | IMP PMID:2823119 Isolation and physical characterization of three essential c... | ACCEPT | Summary: Core process. AbaA is required for conidium formation. Reason: abaA is one of the essential conidiation genes; its loss blocks conidium production. Supporting Evidence: PMID:2152124 Loss of function mutations in the abacus A (abaA) regulatory locus result in formation of aberrant conidiophores that fail to produce conidia |
| GO:0070790 phialide development | IMP PMID:8056325 Enhancers of conidiation mutants in Aspergillus nidulans. | ACCEPT | Summary: Core process. AbaA controls phialide development. Reason: abaA controls phialide differentiation; abaA mutants form metula-like cells instead of phialides and fail to make conidia. Supporting Evidence: PMID:2152124 abaA+ directs the differentiation of phialides and is continuously required for maintenance of their function |
| GO:0003700 DNA-binding transcription factor activity | IDA PMID:8139553 The Aspergillus nidulans abaA gene encodes a transcriptional... | ACCEPT | Summary: Core molecular function (direct). ATTS/TEA-domain sequence-specific DNA-binding transcriptional activator. Reason: Gel mobility shift, protection, missing-contact and interference footprinting demonstrated AbaA binds 5'-CATTCY-3' and acts as a transcriptional activator. Supporting Evidence: PMID:8139553 The Aspergillus nidulans abaA gene encodes a protein containing an ATTS DNA-binding motif and is required for the terminal stages of conidiophore development |
| GO:0006355 regulation of DNA-templated transcription | IDA PMID:8139553 The Aspergillus nidulans abaA gene encodes a transcriptional... | ACCEPT | Summary: Accept (direct). AbaA regulates DNA-templated transcription of target genes. Reason: Direct demonstration that AbaA binding sites confer AbaA-dependent transcriptional regulation. |
| GO:0070807 positive regulation of phialide development | IMP PMID:2152124 abaA controls phialide differentiation in Aspergillus nidula... | ACCEPT | Summary: Core process. AbaA positively regulates phialide development. Reason: Loss of abaA abolishes phialide differentiation, establishing a positive-regulatory role. Supporting Evidence: PMID:2152124 abaA+ directs the differentiation of phialides and is continuously required for maintenance of their function |
| GO:0075307 positive regulation of conidium formation | IMP PMID:8056325 Enhancers of conidiation mutants in Aspergillus nidulans. | ACCEPT | Summary: Core process. AbaA positively regulates conidium formation. Reason: As the middle regulator of the conidiation pathway, AbaA is required for and positively regulates conidium formation. |
| GO:0006357 regulation of transcription by RNA polymerase II | IMP PMID:2655931 Interactions of three sequentially expressed genes control t... | ACCEPT | Summary: Accept. AbaA regulates Pol II transcription within the brlA->abaA->wetA pathway. Reason: Consistent with the dependent-pathway model in which brlA activates abaA and abaA activates wetA. |
| GO:0003700 DNA-binding transcription factor activity | IDA PMID:8491194 The Aspergillus nidulans yA gene is regulated by abaA. | ACCEPT | Summary: Core molecular function (direct). DNA-binding TF activity shown at the yA target promoter. Reason: Analysis of the abaA-regulated yA gene supports AbaA sequence-specific transcriptional regulation. |
| GO:0003700 DNA-binding transcription factor activity | IMP PMID:8491194 The Aspergillus nidulans yA gene is regulated by abaA. | ACCEPT | Summary: Core molecular function (duplicate). DNA-binding transcription factor activity. Reason: Redundant with the IDA MF annotation from the same study; retained as supporting evidence. |
| GO:0006357 regulation of transcription by RNA polymerase II | IMP PMID:2823119 Isolation and physical characterization of three essential c... | ACCEPT | Summary: Accept (duplicate). Regulation of Pol II transcription. Reason: Consistent with AbaA's transcriptional-regulator role. |
| GO:0075307 positive regulation of conidium formation | IEP PMID:2823119 Isolation and physical characterization of three essential c... | ACCEPT | Summary: Core process (duplicate). Expression pattern consistent with positive regulation of conidiation. Reason: IEP evidence consistent with AbaA as a positive regulator of conidium formation. |
| GO:0075307 positive regulation of conidium formation | IMP PMID:5366214 A mutational analysis of conidial development in Aspergillus... | ACCEPT | Summary: Core process (duplicate). Mutational analysis supports positive regulation of conidiation. Reason: Classic mutational analysis of conidial development supports AbaA's positive-regulatory role. |
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