Fungal secondary metabolites (SM) are bioactive compounds that are important in fungal ecology and, moreover, both harmful and useful in human endeavors (e.g., as toxins and pharmaceuticals). Recently a nuclear heterocomplex termed the Velvet complex, characterized in the model ascomyceteAspergillus nidulans, was found to be critical for SM production. Deletion of two members of the Velvet complex,laeAandveA, results in near loss of SM and defective sexual spore production inA. nidulansand other species. Using a multicopy-suppressor genetics approach, we have isolated anAspergillus nidulansgene namedrsmA(remediation of secondary metabolism) based upon its ability to remediate secondary metabolism in ΔlaeAand ΔveAbackgrounds. Overexpression ofrsmA(OE::rsmA) restores production of sterigmatocystin (ST) (a carcinogenic SM) via transcriptional activation of ST biosynthetic genes. However, defects in sexual reproduction in either ΔlaeAor ΔveAstrains cannot be overcome by OE::rsmA. An intact Velvet complex coupled with an OE::rsmAallele increases SM many fold over the wild-type level, but loss ofrsmAdoes not decrease SM. RsmA encodes a putative bZIP basic leucine zipper-type transcription factor.