The first filamentous fungal genome sequences: Aspergillus leads the way for essential everyday resources or dusty museum specimens?

The published Aspergillus genome sequences (A. nidulans, A. fumigatus, A. oryzae) and further sequence data from A. clavatus, Neosartorya fischeri, A. flavus, A. niger, A. parasiticus and A. terreus are the first from a group of related filamentous fungi. They indicate the gains possible from genomic approaches, but also problems that arise after the sequences are finished. Benefits include a greater understanding of genome structure and evolution, insights into gene regulation, predictions of new factors that may be relevant to pathogenicity and the discovery of novel enzymes with biotechnological value. Areas where further developments are needed include gene and structure-function predictions, methods for comparative genome analysis and the interfaces for access to genome information. In addition, strategies for continued maintenance and updating need to be developed at the start of the post-genomic era to increase the value of genome sequences into the future.