title: Genetic structure of the mating-type locus of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.
abstract: Portions of the cloned mating-type (MT) loci (mt(+) and mt(-)) of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, defined as the approximately 1-Mb domains of linkage group VI that are under recombinational suppression, were subjected to Northern analysis to elucidate their coding capacity. The four central rearranged segments of the loci were found to contain both housekeeping genes (expressed during several life-cycle stages) and mating-related genes, while the sequences unique to mt(+) or mt(-) carried genes expressed only in the gametic or zygotic phases of the life cycle. One of these genes, Mtd1, is a candidate participant in gametic cell fusion; two others, Mta1 and Ezy2, are candidate participants in the uniparental inheritance of chloroplast DNA. The identified housekeeping genes include Pdk, encoding pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase, and GdcH, encoding glycine decarboxylase complex subunit H. Unusual genetic configurations include three genes whose sequences overlap, one gene that has inserted into the coding region of another, several genes that have been inactivated by rearrangements in the region, and genes that have undergone tandem duplication. This report extends our original conclusion that the MT locus has incurred high levels of mutational change.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, USA. ferris@biosgi.wustl.edu
authors.forename: Patrick J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Ferris
authors.forename: E Virginia
authors.initials: EV
authors.lastname: Armbrust
authors.forename: Ursula W
authors.initials: UW
authors.lastname: Goodenough
mesh_terms: D000594:Amino Acid Oxidoreductases / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D016825:Chlamydomonas reinhardtii / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements / Q000235:genetics; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D015321:Gene Rearrangement; D017125:Genes, Protozoan; D050959:Glycine Decarboxylase Complex; D050841:Glycine Dehydrogenase (Decarboxylating); D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D000081382:Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Acetyl-Transferring Kinase; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C107853:Mid protein, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii; D000081382:Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Acetyl-Transferring Kinase; D000594:Amino Acid Oxidoreductases; D050959:Glycine Decarboxylase Complex; D050841:Glycine Dehydrogenase (Decarboxylating); D011494:Protein Kinases; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases