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Structure and function of the mating-type locus in the homothallic ascomycete, Didymella zeae-maydis

  • Microbial Genetics, Genomics and Molecular Biology
  • Published:
Journal of Microbiology

Abstract

Homothallic Didymella zeae-maydis undergoes sexual reproduction by selfing. Sequence analysis of the mating type (MAT) locus from this fungus revealed that MAT carries both MAT1-1-1 and MAT1-2-1 genes found in heterothallic Dothideomycetes, separated by ∼1.0 kb of noncoding DNA. To understand the mechanistic basis of homothallism in D. zeae-maydis, each of the MAT genes was deleted and the effects on selfing and on ability to cross in a heterothallic manner were determined. The strain carrying an intact MAT1-1-1 but defective MAT1-2-1 gene (MAT1-1-1;ΔMAT1-2-1) was self-sterile, however strains carrying an intact MAT1-2-1 but defective MAT1-1-1 gene (ΔMAT1-1-1;MAT1-2-1), when selfed, showed delayed production of a few ascospores. Attempts to cross the two MAT deletion strains yielded fewer ΔMAT1-1-1;MAT1-2-1 than MAT1-1-1;ΔMAT1-2-1 progeny and very few ascospores overall compared to WT selfs. This study demonstrates that, as in the other homothallic Dothideomycetes, both MAT genes are required for full fertility, but that, in contrast to other cases, the presence of a single MAT1-2-1 gene can induce homothallism, albeit inefficiently, in D. zeae-maydis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Biotechnology, Soonchunhyang University, Asan, 336-745, Republic of Korea

    Sung-Hwan Yun

  2. Department of Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA

    Olen C. Yoder & B. Gillian Turgeon

  3. Celgene Corp., 10300 Campus Point Drives, San Diego, CA, 92121, USA

    Olen C. Yoder

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  1. Sung-Hwan Yun
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  2. Olen C. Yoder
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  3. B. Gillian Turgeon
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Correspondence to Sung-Hwan Yun.

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Yun, SH., Yoder, O.C. & Gillian Turgeon, B. Structure and function of the mating-type locus in the homothallic ascomycete, Didymella zeae-maydis . J Microbiol. 51, 814–820 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-013-3465-2

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