title: Intrachromosomal recombination between direct repeats in Penicillium chrysogenum: gene conversion and deletion events.
abstract: Recombination between direct repeats has been studied in Penicillium chrysogenum using strain TD7-88 (lys- py+), which contains two inactive copies of the lys2 gene separated by 4.5 kb of DNA (including the pyrG gene) in its genome. Gene conversion leading to products with the lys+ pyr+ phenotype was observed at a frequency of 1 in 3.2x10(3) viable spores. Two types of deletion events giving rise to lys+ pyr- and lys- pyr- phenotypes were obtained with different frequencies. Southern analysis revealed that gene conversion occurs mainly as a result of crossing over events that remove the BamHI frameshift mutation present in one of the repeats. In lys- pyr- recombinants, the deletion events do not affect the frameshift mutation in the BamHI site, while lys+ pyr- recombinants showed repair of the BamHI frameshift mutation and the genotype of the parental non-disrupted strain was restored. In summary, deletion events in P. chrysogenum tend to favor the restoration of the phenotype and genotype characteristic of the parental non-disrupted strain.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biotechnology (INBIOTEC), Science Park of León, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Casqueiro
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bañuelos
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gutiérrez
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Hijarrubia
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Martín
mesh_terms: D015825:Chromosomes, Fungal; D005785:Gene Conversion; D017353:Gene Deletion; D010408:Penicillium chrysogenum / Q000235:genetics*; D010641:Phenotype; D011995:Recombination, Genetic