title: Fck1, a C-type cyclin-dependent kinase, interacts with Fcc1 to regulate development and secondary metabolism in Fusarium verticillioides.
abstract: In Fusarium verticillioides, the C-type cyclin Fcc1 is a global regulator of gene expression. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae and other organisms, C-type cyclins regulate the activity of specific cyclin-dependent kinases through physical association. We identified FCK1, a gene encoding a cyclin-dependent kinase in F. verticillioides. The Fck1 protein is predicted to contain a cyclin-binding motif and a serine-threonine protein kinase domain homologous to previously described cyclin-dependent kinases. Disruption of FCK1 resulted in pleiotropic morphological defects including reduced growth, conidiation, fumonisin B(1) (FB(1)) production, and enhanced pigmentation. Two-hybrid analysis indicated a strong physical interaction between Fcc1 and Fck1. This study presents the first description of the interaction between a C-type cyclin and a cyclin-dependent kinase in a filamentous fungus and provides new insight regarding a molecular mechanism that regulates aspects of maize kernel colonization by F. verticillioides.
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
authors.forename: B H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Bluhm
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Woloshuk
mesh_terms: D020816:Amino Acid Motifs; D001665:Binding Sites / Q000235:genetics; D018844:Cyclin-Dependent Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D037341:Fumonisins / Q000378:metabolism; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005670:Fusarium / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D017353:Gene Deletion; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D010858:Pigmentation / Q000235:genetics; D011485:Protein Binding; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D020798:Two-Hybrid System Techniques
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal; D037341:Fumonisins; D005656:Fungal Proteins; C056933:fumonisin B1; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D018844:Cyclin-Dependent Kinases