Abstract
The A mating factor of Coprinus cinereus determines compatibility in mating by regulating part of a developmental sequence that leads to dikaryon formation. The A genes that trigger development encode two different classes of homeodomain proteins, and for a successful mating, a protein of one class, HD 1, must interact with a protein of the other class, HD 2. In this report we show that C. cinereus A genes that encode HD 2 proteins, a2-1 and b2-1, can elicit A-regulated development in the heterologous host C. bilanatus. Transformation rates were very low, suggesting that the genes were poorly transcribed. The fact that the HD 2 genes are functionally expressed implies successful heteromultimeric association of putative DNA-binding proteins coded by the two Coprinus species. This interaction was sufficient to satisfy the need for different A factors in the formation of a fertile C. bilanatus dikaryon, but fertile dikaryons were more readily produced in matings with the a2-1 gene transformants. The C. cinereus A genes, b1-1 and d1-1, which encode HD1 proteins, were either not expressed or their proteins were non-functional in C. bilanatus. These experiments raise some interesting questions regarding HD1–HD2 protein interactions.
References
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Communicated by C. van den Hondel
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Challen, M.P., Elliott, T.J., Kües, U. et al. Expression of A mating type genes of Coprinus cinereus in a heterologous basidiomycete host. Molec. Gen. Genet. 241, 474–478 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00284702
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00284702