Fig. 5.

AplD has multiple impacts on A. niger submerged growth. 1 × 10⁶ spores/mL of conditional expression mutants and MA70.15 control were inoculated in 20 mL MM with 5% glucose as carbon source and supplemented with various concentrations of Dox. Cultures were grown at 220 RPM, 30 °C, for 72 h. a Representative images are depicted for triplicated experiments each consisting of duplicate replicates. Note smaller, irregular shaped pellets and fragments of mycelial growth under 0 and 0.2 µg/mL Dox in mutants TC18.1 and TC18.3. In addition, oblong pellets were observed in these strains under 2 and 20 µg/mL Dox. b Dry weight measurements reveal significant reduction in fungal biomass following aplD expression using 0, 0.2 and 2 µg/mL Dox. c Percentage of pelleted morphologies as a function of the total fungal area measured during image analysis. Note that the expression of aplD under 0 and 0.2 µg/mL Dox results in significant decrease in pelleted morphologies, with greater dispersed/clumped morphologies. Error bars report standard deviation from triplicate biological replicates consisting of duplicate technical replicates. Pairwise Student‘s t tests were conducted between TC18.1 and TC18.3 relative to MA70.15 control at respective Dox concentrations. p values are indicated as (< 0.05, *) and (< 0.01, ***)