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Genetic basis of the ovc phenotype of Neurospora: identification and analysis of a 77 kb deletion

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Abstract

The ovc mutant of Neurospora crassa accumulates more carotenoids than the wild type in the light, is sensitive to high osmotic pressure and exhibits an altered aerial development. The three traits are complemented by a single gene, cut-1, but only the two latter are exhibited by a mutant of this gene carrying a premature stop mutation. Targeted cut-1 deletion results in a normal carotenoid content, confirming the involvement of at least a second gene in the carotenoid-overproducing phenotype of the ovc strain. Molecular analysis of ovc genomic DNA indicates the absence of a large DNA segment affecting the gene cut-1. A PCR walking approach allowed the identification of a deletion extending along 77,078 bp on linkage group IV. The break-points are located in ApA/TpT sequences, suggesting the involvement of UV-induced thymine dimers in the origin of the deletion. The ovc mutant lacks 21 predicted ORFs, including cut-1 as the only known genetic marker, and four ORFs from a 22-member transmethylase gene family. Ten ORFs have no similarity with any predicted gene from other species. Three of them are closely related by sequence and linkage, evoking ancestral gene duplications.

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Acknowledgments

We thank C. Vallejo and L. Pérez de Camino for technical assistance, L. Saelices for efforts to extend this work, and the Spanish Government (INIA, project PB96-1336, Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología, project BIO2003-01548) for financial support.

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  1. L. Youssar

    Present address: Instituto de la Grasa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Apartado 1078, 41080, Sevilla, Spain

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  1. Departamento de Genética, Universidad de Sevilla, Apartado1095, 41080, Sevilla, Spain

    L. Youssar & J. Avalos

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Correspondence to J. Avalos.

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Communicated by K. Borkovich.

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Youssar, L., Avalos, J. Genetic basis of the ovc phenotype of Neurospora: identification and analysis of a 77 kb deletion. Curr Genet 51, 19–30 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00294-006-0104-z

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