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Cloning, functional analysis and expression of a scytalone dehydratase gene (SCD1) involved in melanin biosynthesis of the phytopathogenic fungus Bipolaris oryzae

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Abstract

Scytalone dehydratase is involved in the production of fungal dihydroxynaphthalene melanin. We isolated and characterized SCD1, a gene encoding scytalone dehydratase, from the phytopathogenic fungus Bipolaris oryzae. Sequence analysis showed that SCD1 encodes a putative protein that has 185 amino acids, a molecular weight of 21 kDa and 51–75% sequence identity to other fungal scytalone dehydratases. Targeted disruption of SCD1 showed that this gene is necessary for melanin biosynthesis in B. oryzae. Northern blot analysis showed that SCD1 transcripts are specifically enhanced by near-ultraviolet (300–400 nm) radiation.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Dr. T. Tsuge (Nagoya University, Japan) for generously providing plasmids pSH75 and pII99, and Dr. Y. Kubo (Kyoto Prefectural University, Japan) for generously providing a Col. lagenarium strain. This work was supported in part by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research to J.K. (No. 14760027) from the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture of Japan and by a research grant to J.K. from the Dean of the Faculty of Life and Environmental Science, Shimane University.

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  1. Faculty of Life and Environmental Science, Shimane University, Matsue, Shimane, 690–8504, Japan

    Junichi Kihara, Akihiro Moriwaki, Makoto Ueno, Toshiko Tokunaga, Sakae Arase & Yuichi Honda

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  1. Junichi Kihara
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  2. Akihiro Moriwaki
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  3. Makoto Ueno
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  4. Toshiko Tokunaga
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  5. Sakae Arase
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Correspondence to Junichi Kihara.

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Communicated by J. Heitman

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Kihara, J., Moriwaki, A., Ueno, M. et al. Cloning, functional analysis and expression of a scytalone dehydratase gene (SCD1) involved in melanin biosynthesis of the phytopathogenic fungus Bipolaris oryzae . Curr Genet 45, 197–204 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00294-003-0477-1

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