PubMedCrossRef 32. Yeo TW, Lampah DA, Gitawati R, Tjitra E, Kenangalem E, McNeil YR, Darcy CJ, Granger DL, Weinberg JB, Lopansri BK, Price RN, Duffull SB, Celermajer DS, Anstey NM: Impaired nitric oxide bioavailability and L-arginine-reversible endothelial dysfunction in adults with falciparum malaria. J. Exp. Med. 2007, 204:2693–2704.PubMedCrossRef 33. Dowling DP, Ilies M, Olszewski KL, www.selleckchem.com/products/cilengitide-emd-121974-nsc-707544.html Portugal S, Mota MM, Llinás M, Christianson DW: Crystal structure of arginase from and implications CH5424802 mw for L-arginine depletion in malarial infection. Biochemistry 2010,49((26):5600–5608. 6PubMedCrossRef 34. Bradford MM: A rapid and sensitive for the quantitation

of microgram quantitites of protein utilizing the principle of protein-dye binding. Analytical Biochem. 1976, KU55933 manufacturer 72:248–254.CrossRef 35. Protocols for the preparation of blood plasma and serum. http://​www.​proimmune.​com Competing interests The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Authors’ contributions MK was involved in the transfection experiments, AS was responsible for the RT-PCR and Western Blot experiments. AKM and CHS performed the

P. berghei transfection. BAM and TB were involved in the cloning of siRNA oligonucleotides. AK participated practically in the colorimetric assays and Western Blot experiments, prepared the manuscript and organized financial support, AKM and JH critically appraised the manuscript. We thank Barbara Langer for excellent technical assistance. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.”
“Background Aflatoxins (AFs) are a group of polyketide metabolites produced by several toxigenic species of Aspergillus such as A. flavus and A. parasiticus after infections of seeds with high protein and lipid contents, e.g. peanut, corn and walnut [1–3]. AFs are toxic and carcinogenic, posing serious threats to both animal and human health [4].

Extensive studies 4��8C carried out in A. flavus and A. parasiticus lead to the identification of a 70 kb DNA cluster consisting two specific transcriptional regulators (aflR and aflS), and 26 co-regulated downstream metabolic genes in the AF biosynthetic pathway [5–8]. Expressions of aflR and aflS are further regulated by global regulators such as the CreA transcription factor and the VelB/VeA/LaeA complex, and possibly by a cell surface-localized G-protein coupled receptor complex [2, 9, 10]. Various nutritional and environmental factors including carbon sources [11], nitrate [12], light [13], temperature [14, 15], pH [14, 16], and oxygen availability [17–19] affect AF productions and expressions of AF biosynthesis-related genes [9, 20, 21]. It has been known for a long time that sugars and related carbohydrates support both fungal growth and AF production. However, peptone, a mixture of protein degradation products, is a preferred carbon source for fungal growth, but not for AF production [11, 22–25]. Many studies have been carried out to elucidate how various carbon sources affect AF biosynthesis.