Editing Conidium (section)

==== Stages of Germination: Dormancy ====
Germination in ''Aspergillus'' follows a sequence of three different stages: dormancy, isotropic growth, and polarized growth. The dormant conidia are able to germinate even after an year of remaining at room temperature, due to their resilient intracellular and extracellular characteristics, which enable them to undergo harsh conditions like dehydration, variation in osmotic pressure, oxidation, and temperature, and change in UV exposure and acidity levels. These abilities of the dormant conidia are dictated by a few central regulatory proteins, which are the main drivers of the conidia and conidiophore formation. One of these proteins, the developmental regulatory protein wetA, has been found to be particularly essential; in wetA-defective mutants have reduced tolerance to external factors mentioned above, and exhibit weak synthesization of the conidial cell wall. In addition to these central regulators, some notable groups of genes/proteins include other regulatory proteins like the velvet regulator proteins, which contribute to fungal growth, and other molecules that target specific unfavorable intra and extracellular conditions, like heat shock proteins. <ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last1=Baltussen |first1=Tim J. H. |last2=Zoll |first2=Jan |last3=Verweij |first3=Paul E. |last4=Melchers |first4=Willem J. G. |date=2020-02-19 |title=Molecular Mechanisms of Conidial Germination in Aspergillus spp |journal=Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews |language=en |volume=84 |issue=1 |doi=10.1128/MMBR.00049-19 |issn=1092-2172 |pmc=6903801 |pmid=31801804}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Citation |last=Osherov |first=Nir |title=Conidial Germination in Aspergillus fumigatus |date=2014-04-09 |work=Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillosis |pages=131–142 |editor-last=Latgé |editor-first=Jean-Paul |url=http://doi.wiley.com/10.1128/9781555815523.ch10 |access-date=2024-05-11 |place=Washington, DC, USA |publisher=ASM Press |language=en |doi=10.1128/9781555815523.ch10 |isbn=978-1-68367-138-1 |editor2-last=Steinbach |editor2-first=William J.|url-access=subscription }}</ref>