The conidiation regulatory cascade

A reusable module for fungal asexual spore formation, with 30 reviewed genes

AI Gene Review · projects/CONIDIATION · 2026

Bottom line

  • Fungi make conidia through a TF relay: FluG/Flb → BrlA → AbaA → WetA/velvet, held back by G-protein/PKA signalling that FlbA damps.
  • We built an ABSTRACT module with two taxon variants (Aspergillus, Neurospora) and reviewed all 30 member genes.
  • 382 annotations: 288 accepted, 63 non-core, 25 over-annotated, 1 modified, 5 removed (4 plant ARBA rows on FlbD, a mis-attributed laccase on wA).

Same logic, different genes

Why conidiation

  • One of the best-dissected fungal developmental programs.
  • Aspergillus and Neurospora reach the same outcome with largely non-orthologous regulators.
  • Tests whether a module can hold one developmental logic with taxon variants, not a species gene list.
  • Grounded in GO:0048315 conidium formation and GO:0070787 conidiophore development (GO:0061794 is being obsoleted).

The module

modules/conidiation_regulatory_cascade.yaml (DRAFT): tiers, typed connections, per-annoton MFs, PANTHER PTN grounding.

Notable curation calls

  • REMOVE FlbD: 4 plant-specific ARBA IEA rows (stomatal patterning, water homeostasis, salt and water-deprivation responses).
  • REMOVE wA laccase activity: the cited paper (PMID:7050088) assigns the laccase to yA; reference marked MISCITED.
  • Over-annotated: sterigmatocystin biosynthetic process on regulators BrlA, VelB, FluG; biosynthesis terms on Gα FadA.
  • MODIFY FadA conidium formation → negative regulation of conidium formation (GO:0075308).

A review page

FlbD (Myb TF) review: family TF terms accepted; a propagated cell-cycle Myb row marked over-annotated.

Status and next steps

  • ✅ Module built; 30/30 member genes reviewed (21 EMENI, 9 NEUCR); module deep research cached and checkable.
  • ⬜ Cite (or drop) the ACON-3 → con gene step in the Neurospora variant.
  • ⬜ Track the GO:0061794 obsoletion (go-ontology #32315); check gocams/index.tsv for conidiation models.
  • ⬜ Consider spinning out structural output as a conidial_wall_assembly module.

Read more: projects/CONIDIATION.md · modules/conidiation_regulatory_cascade.yaml · genes/EMENI/, genes/NEUCR/