Aspergillus aurantiobrunneus (G.A. Atkins, Hindson & A.B. Russell) (MB 326612) was described in The Genus Aspergillus, 1965 (on page 511). ITS barcode: EF652465, BenA : EF652289, CaM: EF652377, RPB2: EF652201. It was isolated from a canvas respirator haversack in Australia in 1944 by G.A. Atkins (as nr. DSL 48) and only a single isolate is in international culture collections (CBS 465.65 = ATCC 16821 = IMI 074897 = IMI 139821 = WB 4545 = DSL 48 = IBT 22880, ex type isolate). Secondary metabolites produced include the mycotoxin sterigmatocystin, the anti-HIV, immunodepressive, antifungal, endothelin antagonist and angiotensin II receptor antagonist variecolin and other closely related compounds (variecolactone, variecolol, variecoacetal A & B, emericolin A-D ) (Fujimoto et al., 2000; Yoganathan et al., 2004), eremophiline (Fujimoto et al., 2000), and emerins/epurpurins (also in Aspergillus purpureus, Takahashi et al., 1996)). Variecolin and variecolol are very promising drug lead candidates.
Aspergillus aurantiobrunneus CBS 465.65 was sequenced as a part of the Aspergillus whole-genus sequencing project - a project dedicated to performing whole-genome sequencing of all members of the Aspergillus genus. The Aspergilli are a ubiquitous and species-rich genus, currently containing more than 300 filamentous fungi. The genus covers a wide range of phenotypes and has a substantial economic foot print, as it includes fermenters of foodstuffs, key cell factories for production of enzymes and organic acids, plant pathogens, model organisms for cell biology, human opportunistic pathogens, producers of animal and human mycotoxins, and degraders of a wide range of organic biomass relevant for bioenergy conversion.