Skip to main content
Log in

Cold-sensitive mutants in Aspergillus nidulans

I. Isolation and general characterisation

  • Published:
Molecular and General Genetics MGG Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Mutant strains of Aspergillus nidulans have been isolated which grow normally on minimal medium at 37°C but not at 20°C. Growth tests indicate that these seventy-five mutant strains (designated CS, cold-sensitive) have a range of defects. Five are auxotrophic at 20°C, one (CS13) requiring isoleucine and another (CS48) choline. Many mutants are osmotic remedials. Some CS strains have altered properties at 37°C, including deoxycholate-sensitivity, actidione-resistance or actidione-ultrasensitivity.

The majority of thirty-two CS strains tested segregate cold-sensitivity as single gene mutations in crosses with wild-type. Cold-sensitivity of one strain (CS67) is cytoplasmically inherited. Dominance tests in heterokaryons showed that in each of twenty-six CS strains examined cold-sensitivity is determined by recessive mutations (designated cs). Complementation analysis of nine cs mutations showed that they each affect a different function. Crosses between some cs mutants, and the allocation of other cs mutations to different linkage groups, demonstrate that mutations to cold-sensitivity are not restricted to a limited region of the genome.

These results indicate that in Aspergillus nidulans selection for cold-sensitivity provides an enrichment for mutants with alterations in many different cellular properties.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alderson, T., Hartley, M. J.: Specificity for spontaneous and induced mutation at several gene loci in Aspergillus nidulans. Mutation Res. 8, 255–264 (1969)

    Google Scholar 

  • Bayliss, F. T., Vinopal, R. T.: Selection of ribosomal mutants by antibiotic suppression in yeast. Science 174, 1339–1341 (1971)

    Google Scholar 

  • Guthrie, C., Nashimoto, H., Nomura, M.: Structure and function of E. coli ribosomes VIII. Cold-sensitive mutants defective in ribosome assembly. Proc. nat. Acad. Sci. (Wash.) 63, 384–391 (1969)

    Google Scholar 

  • Hartwell, L. H., McLaughlin, C. S., Warner, J. R.: Identification of ten genes that control ribosome formation in yeast. Molec. gen. Genet. 109, 42–56 (1970)

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoffman, B., Ingraham, J. L.: A cold-sensitive mutant of Salmonella typhimurium which requires tryptophan for growth at 20°C. Biochim. biophys. Acta (Amst.) 201, 300–308 (1970)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ingraham, J. L., Neuhard, J.: Cold-sensitive mutants of Salmonella typhimurium defective in uridine monophosphate kinase (pyr H). J. biol. Chem. 247, 6259–6265 (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  • MacDonald, D. W., Arst, H. N. Jr., Cove, D. J.: The threonine dehydratase structural gene in Aspergillus nidulans. Biochim. biophys. Acta (Amst.) 362, 60–65 (1974)

    Google Scholar 

  • Mackintosh, M. E., Pritchard, R. H.: The production and replica plating of micro-colonies of Aspergillus nidulans. Genet. Res. (Camb.) 4, 320–322 (1963)

    Google Scholar 

  • McCully, K. S., Forbes, E.: The use of p-fluorophenylalanine with “master strains” of Aspergillus nidulans for assigning genes to linkage groups. Genet. Res. (Camb.) 6, 352–359 (1965)

    Google Scholar 

  • Meuris, P., Lacroute, F., Slonimski, P. P.: Etude systematique de mutants inhibes par leur propres metabolites chez levure Saccharomyces cerevisiae I. Obtention et caracterisation des differentes classes de mutants. Genetics 56, 149–161 (1967)

    Google Scholar 

  • O'Donovan, G. A., Ingraham, J. L.: Cold-sensitive mutants of Escherichia coli resulting from increased feedback inhibition. Proc. nat. Acad. Sci. (Wash.) 54, 451–457 (1966)

    Google Scholar 

  • O'Donovan, G. A., Kearney, C. L., Ingraham, J. L.: Mutants of Escherichia coli with high minimal temperatures of growth. J. Bact. 90, 611–616 (1965)

    Google Scholar 

  • Pestka, S.: Inhibitors of ribosome functions. Ann. Rev. Microbiol. 25, 487–562 (1971)

    Google Scholar 

  • Pontecorvo, G., Roper, J. A., Hemmons, L. M., MacDonald, K. D., Bufton, A. W. J.: The genetics of Aspergillus nidulans. Advanc. Genet. 5, 141–238 (1953)

    Google Scholar 

  • Roberds, D. R., De Busk, A. G.: Cold-sensitive mutants of Neurospora crassa. J. Bact. 115, 1121–1129 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  • Roberts, C. F.: A replica plating technique for the isolation of nutritionally exacting mutants of a filamentous fungus (Aspergillus nidulans). J. gen. Microbiol. 20, 540–548 (1959)

    Google Scholar 

  • Roberts, C. F.: The adaptive metabolism of D-galactose in Aspergillus nidulans. J. gen. Microbiol. 31, 285–295 (1963)

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenbluth, R., Ezell, D., Suzuki, D. T.: Temperature-sensitive mutations in Drosophila melanogaster IX. Dominant cold-sensitive lethals on the autosomes. Genetics 70, 75–86 (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  • Rowlands, R. T., Turner, G.: Interaction and recombination between extranuclear genetic elements of Aspergillus nidulans. Biochem. Soc. Trans., Biochem. J. in press (1974)

  • Scotti, P. D.: A new class of temperature conditional lethal mutants of bacteriophage T4D. Mutation Res. 6, 1–14 (1968)

    Google Scholar 

  • Suzuki, D. T.: Temperature sensitive mutations in Drosophila melanogaster Science 170, 695–706 (1970)

    Google Scholar 

  • Tai, P. C., Kessler, D. P., Ingraham, J.: Cold-sensitive mutations in Salmonella typhimurium which affect ribosome synthesis. J. Bact. 97, 1298–1304 (1969)

    Google Scholar 

  • Waldron, C.: Cold-sensitive mutants of Aspergillus nidulans. Heredity 31, 135 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  • Waldron, C., Roberts, C. F.: Cytoplasmic inheritance of a cold-sensitive mutant in Aspergillus nidulans. J. gen. Microbiol. 78, 379–381 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  • Waldron, C., Roberts, C. F.: Cold-sensitive mutants of Aspergillus nidulans II. Mutations affecting ribosome production. Molec. gen. Genet. 134, 115–132 (1974)

    Google Scholar 

  • Warr, J. R., Roper, J. A.: Resistance to various inhibitors in Aspergillus nidulans. J. gen. Microbiol. 40, 273–281 (1965)

    Google Scholar 

  • Weislogel, P. O., Butow, R. A.: Low temperature and chloramphenicol induction of respiratory deficiency in a cold-sensitive mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Proc. nat. Acad. Sci. (Wash.) 67, 52–58 (1970)

    Google Scholar 

  • Woodward, V. W., De Zeeuw, J. R., Srb, A. M.: The separation and isolation of particular biochemical mutants of Neurospora by differential germination of conidia followed by filtration and selective plating. Proc. nat. Acad. Sci. (Wash.) 40, 192–200 (1954)

    Google Scholar 

  • Wright, T. R. F.: The recovery, penetrance and pleiotropy of X-linked coldsensitive mutants in Drosophila. Molec. gen. Genet. 122, 101–118 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

Communicated by O. Siddiqi

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Waldron, C., Roberts, C.F. Cold-sensitive mutants in Aspergillus nidulans . Molec. Gen. Genet. 134, 99–113 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00268413

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00268413

Keywords

Navigation