 The MSNA gene of Aspergillus parasiticus and Aspergillus flavus is the orthologue of Saccharomyces cerevisiae MSN2, which is involved in multi-stress response. Deleting this gene from these fungi caused them to produce less aflatoxin and more kojic acid, as well as increase their susceptibility to oxidative stress. Additionally, the deletion of the MSNA gene led to increased production of reactive oxygen species, ROS. This suggests that the MSNA gene plays a role in maintaining the normal oxidative state of the cell. This article was authored by Robert L. Brown, Russell J. Malinu, Jo Jiong Yu, and others.