The role of the veA gene in adjusting developmental balance and environmental stress response in Aspergillus cristatus

veA belongs to the velvet regulatory system that regulates the development and secondary metabolism of many fungi. To identify the function of veA in Aspergillus cristatus, veA deletion mutants were constructed by homologous recombination via Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. Deletion of veA led to increased conidial production and reduced sexual sporulation. The regulatory role of veA in A. cristatus was not light-dependent, and this differed from its role in other Aspergilli. Furthermore, veA deletion mutants were more sensitive to environmental stressors, including salt, osmotic pressure, temperature and pH. In contrast, deletion of veA resulted in increased resistance to oxidative stress. veA also affected aerial vegetative growth. Transcriptomic analysis of the veA-null mutant and wild type indicated that most asexual and sexual development genes were upregulated and downregulated, respectively. These findings confirmed that veA has a positive effect on sexual development but represses conidial formation. Overall, these results suggested that the veA gene plays a critical role in maintaining a developmental balance between asexual and sexual sporulation and is involved in vegetative growth and environmental stress response in A. cristatus.