Interaction between mating-type proteins from the homothallic fungus Sordaria macrospora.
Mating-type genes control sexual development in ascomycetes. Little is known about their function in homothallic species, which are self-fertile and do not require a mating partner for sexual reproduction. The function of mating-type genes in the homothallic fungus Sordaria macrospora was assayed using a yeast system in order to find properties typical of eukaryotic transcription factors. We were able to demonstrate that the mating-type proteins SMTA-1 and SMTa-1 have domains capable of activating transcription of yeast reporter genes. Two-hybrid analysis for heterodimerization and homodimerization revealed the ability of SMTA-1 to interact with SMTa-1 and vice versa. These two proteins are encoded by different mating types in the related heterothallic species Neurospora crassa. The interaction between SMTA-1 and SMTa-1 was defined by experiments with truncated versions of SMTA-1 and in vitro by means of protein cross-linking. Moreover, we gained evidence for homodimerization of SMTA-1. Possible functions of mating-type proteins in the homothallic ascomycete S. macrospora are discussed.
Department for General and Molecular Botany, Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany.
Sabine
S
Jacobsen
Michael
M
Wittig
Stefanie
S
Pöggeler
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D049770:Genes, Mating Type, Fungal; D000072235:Mating Factor; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D020037:Sordariales / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015533:Transcriptional Activation; D020798:Two-Hybrid System Techniques
D017931:DNA Primers; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D010455:Peptides; D000072235:Mating Factor