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Neurospora crassa fmf-1 encodes the homologue of the Schizosaccharomyces pombe Ste11p regulator of sexual development

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Abstract

The Neurospora crassa fmf-1 mutation exerts an unusual ‘perithecium-dominant’ developmental arrest; fmf-1 × fmf-1 + cross becomes arrested in perithecial development regardless of whether the mutant participates in the cross as the male or female parent. We localized fmf-1 to the LG IL genome segment between the centromere-proximal breakpoint of the chromosome segment duplication Dp(IL)39311 and the centromere. By mapping crossovers with respect to RFLP markers in this region we further localized fmf-1 to an approximately 34-kb-genome segment. Partial sequencing of this segment revealed a point mutation in the gene NCU 09387.1, a homologue of the Schizosaccharomyces pombe ste11 + regulator of sexual development. The fmf-1 mutation did not complement a NCU 09387.1 deletion mutation, and transformation with wild-type NCU 09387.1 complemented fmf-1. S. pombe Ste11 protein (Ste11p) is a transcription factor required for sexual differentiation and for the expression of genes required for mating pheromone signalling in matP and matM cells. If FMF-1 also plays a corresponding role in mating pheromone signalling in Neurospora, then protoperithecia in an fmf-1 × fmf-1 + cross would be unable to either send or receive sexual differentiation signals and thus become arrested in development.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Uppal Road, Hyderabad, 500 007, India

    Srividhya V. Iyer, Mukund Ramakrishnan & Durgadas P. Kasbekar

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  1. Srividhya V. Iyer
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  2. Mukund Ramakrishnan
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  3. Durgadas P. Kasbekar
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Correspondence to Durgadas P. Kasbekar.

Additional information

We dedicate this paper to our friend Namboori Bhaskara Raju, Stanford University, to recognize his many quiet, yet very significant, contributions to fungal biology. He continues to be such a fine example for the rest of us.

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Iyer, S.V., Ramakrishnan, M. & Kasbekar, D.P. Neurospora crassa fmf-1 encodes the homologue of the Schizosaccharomyces pombe Ste11p regulator of sexual development. J Genet 88, 33–39 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12041-009-0005-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12041-009-0005-2

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