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The fungal opsin gene nop-1 is negatively-regulated by a component of the blue light sensing pathway and influences conidiation-specific gene expression in Neurospora crassa

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Abstract

We previously demonstrated that the nop-1 gene encodes a putative green-light opsin photoreceptor that is highly expressed in cultures that support asexual sporulation (conidiation) in Neurospora crassa. In this study, we demonstrate that nop-1 is a late-stage conidiation gene, through analysis of nop-1 transcript levels in wild-type strains and mutants blocked at various stages of conidiation. nop-1 message amounts are similar with constant illumination or darkness during conidiation, consistent with developmental, but not light, regulation of nop-1 expression. Furthermore, photoinduction experiments using wild type and mutants defective in components of the blue light sensing pathway (wc-1 and wc-2) indicate that nop-1 mRNA levels are not appreciably affected by brief light exposure during conidiation. Surprisingly, nop-1 message amounts are greatly elevated in wc-2 mutants in light or dark, suggesting that the wc-2 gene product regulates nop-1 expression in a light-independent manner. Analysis of expression patterns for al-2, con-10 and con-13, genes regulated by conidiation and/or blue light, showed that nop-1 has significant and reproducible effects on all three genes during various stages of conidiation. The results suggest that NOP-1 directly or indirectly modulates carotenogenesis and repression of conidiation-specific gene expression in N. crassa.

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Acknowledgments

We acknowledge Marek Nemcovic, Donald Natvig, Jennifer Loros, Ann Kays and Svetlana Krystofova for many helpful discussions, Daniel Ebbole for plasmids and the John Spudich laboratory for use of their Alpha Imager TM 2200 Documentation and Analysis System. This work was supported by National Science Foundation Grant MCB-0296055 (to K.A.B.).

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  1. Jennifer A. Bieszke

    Present address: DeVry University, 11125 Equity Drive, Houston, TX, 77041, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas-Houston Medical School, 6431 Fannin Street, JFB 1.765, Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    Jennifer A. Bieszke & Katherine A. Borkovich

  2. Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, University of California, 1415 Boyce Hall, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA

    Liande Li & Katherine A. Borkovich

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  1. Jennifer A. Bieszke
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  2. Liande Li
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  3. Katherine A. Borkovich
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Correspondence to Katherine A. Borkovich.

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Communicated by G. Braus.

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Bieszke, J.A., Li, L. & Borkovich, K.A. The fungal opsin gene nop-1 is negatively-regulated by a component of the blue light sensing pathway and influences conidiation-specific gene expression in Neurospora crassa . Curr Genet 52, 149–157 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00294-007-0148-8

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