title: Functional characterization of acetylglutamate synthase and phosphoribosylamine-glycine ligase genes in Gibberella zeae.
abstract: Gibberella zeae (anamorph, Fusarium graminearum) is an important pathogen of cereal crops found in many regions of the world. In this study, we have characterized two auxotrophic strains, designated S4B1279 and S4B3008, which were discovered from a collection of insertional mutants of G. zeae generated by restriction enzyme-mediated integration (REMI). Both mutant strains exhibited pleiotropic phenotypic changes that include reduction of mycelial growth and virulence and abolished sexual reproduction. Molecular analysis of the REMI mutants has shown that the auxotrophy of S4B1279 is due to a mutation of the ARG2 gene encoding an acetylglutamate synthase, and the auxotrophy of S4B3008 is due to a mutation of the ADE5 gene encoding a phosphoribosylamine-glycine ligase. Subsequent gene disruption and complementation studies have confirmed the functions for ARG2 and ADE5, respectively, in G. zeae. Our study has demonstrated the feasibility of using the REMI technique in studying G. zeae virulence mechanisms, in addition to providing two new selectable markers allowing genetic transformation of the fungus.
authors.affiliation: School of Agricultural Biotechnology and Center for Agricultural Biomaterials, Seoul National University, Seoul, 151-921, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jung-Eun
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kilseon
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Myong
authors.forename: Won-Bo
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Shim
authors.forename: Sung-Hwan
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Yun
authors.forename: Yin-Won
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D019731:Carbon-Nitrogen Ligases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D005874:Gibberella / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity; D017851:Phosphotransferases (Carboxyl Group Acceptor) / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D017851:Phosphotransferases (Carboxyl Group Acceptor); C018721:acetylglutamate kinase; D019731:Carbon-Nitrogen Ligases; C022387:phosphoribosylamine-glycine ligase