title: Isolation and disruption of the melanin pathway polyketide synthase gene of the softwood deep stain fungus Ceratocystis resinifera.
abstract: Ceratocystis resinifera hyphae produce a black melanin pigment causing a deep stain in softwood logs. We exploited the homology of polyketide synthases to clone PKS1, a gene responsible for dihydroxynaphthalene-melanin biosynthesis in C. resinifera. Sequence analysis indicated that PKS1 has two introns near its 5(') end and encodes a 2188-amino acid polypeptide with five functional domains: beta-ketoacyl synthase, acyl transferase, two acyl carrier proteins and a thioesterase/Claisen cyclase. A gene disruption construct designed to replace a portion of PKS1 with a hygromycin resistance cassette was transformed into C. resinifera through Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. PKS1 null mutants had an albino phenotype, and pigmentation was restored by the addition of scytalone, a melanin pathway intermediate. The disruption of PKS1 and restoration of pigmentation with scytalone confirmed the presence of a dihydroxynaphthalene-melanin pathway in C. resinifera. The transformation method described in this paper is the first reported for a Ceratocystis species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Wood Science, The University of British Columbia, 4042-2424 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Loppnau
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tanguay
authors.forename: Colette
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Breuil
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001203:Ascomycota / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D008543:Melanins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D014934:Wood
chemical_list: D008543:Melanins; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes