Aspergillus niger as a Secondary Metabolite Factory

Aspergillus niger, one of the most common and important fungal species, is ubiquitous in various environments. A. niger isolates possess a large number of cryptic biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) and produce various biomolecules as secondary metabolites with a broad spectrum of application fields covering agriculture, food, and pharmaceutical industry. By extensive literature search, this review with a comprehensive summary on biological and chemical aspects of A. niger strains including their sources, BGCs, and secondary metabolites as well as biological properties and biosynthetic pathways is presented. Future perspectives on the discovery of more A. niger-derived functional biomolecules are also provided in this review.

Automated summary

Aspergillus niger, a common and important fungal species, produces various biomolecules with wide applications as secondary metabolites. This review comprehensively summarizes the biological and chemical aspects of A. niger strains, including their sources, BGCs, secondary metabolites, biological properties, and biosynthetic pathways. Future perspectives on the discovery of more functional biomolecules derived from A. niger are also provided.