The mating-type locus controls mating and sexual development in filamentous ascomycetes. In the heterothallic ascomycete Neurospora crassa, the genes that confer mating behavior comprise dissimilar DNA sequences (idiomorphs) in the mat a and mat A mating partners. In the homothallic fungus Sordaria macrospora, sequences corresponding to both idiomorphs are located contiguously in the mating-type locus, which contains one chimeric gene, Smt A-3, that includes sequences which are similar to sequences found at the mat A and mat a mating-type idiomorphs in N. crassa. In this study, we describe the comparative transcriptional analysis of the chimeric mating-type region of S. macrospora and the corresponding region of the N. crassa mat a idiomorph. By means of RT-PCR experiments, we identified novel intervening sequences in the mating-type loci of both ascomycetes and, hence, concluded that an additional ORF, encoding a putative polypeptide of 79 amino acids, is present in the N. crassa mat a idiomorph. Furthermore, our analysis revealed co-transcription of the novel gene with the mat a-1 gene in N. crassa. The same mode of transcription was found in the corresponding mating-type region of S. macrospora, where the chimeric Smt A-3 gene is co-transcribed with the mat a-specific Smt a-1 gene. Analysis of a Smt A-3 cDNA revealed optional splicing of two introns. We believe that this is the first report of co-transcription of protein-encoding nuclear genes in filamentous fungi. Possible functions of the novel ORFs in regulating mating-type gene expression are discussed.
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Similar content being viewed by others Explore related subjectsDiscover the latest articles and news from researchers in related subjects, suggested using machine learning. Author information Authors and AffiliationsLehrstuhl für Allgemeine und Molekulare Botanik, Ruhr-Universität, D-44780 Bochum, Germany Fax: +49-234-3214184, E-mail: Ulrich.Kueck@ruhr-uni-bochum.de, , , , , , DE
S. Pöggeler & U. Kück
Received: 9 September 1999 / Accepted: 6 December 1999
About this article Cite this articlePöggeler, S., Kück, U. Comparative analysis of the mating-type loci from Neurospora crassa and Sordaria macrospora: identification of novel transcribed ORFs. Mol Gen Genet 263, 292–301 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/s004380051171
Issue Date: March 2000
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s004380051171
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