title: The Aspergillus nidulans esdC (early sexual development) gene is necessary for sexual development and is controlled by veA and a heterotrimeric G protein.
abstract: The esdC (early sexual development) gene was isolated by using an expressed sequence tag (EST) as a probe from a genomic library of the early sexual developmental stage mycelia of Aspergillus nidulans. The sequence analysis revealed that the esdC gene contains a 59bp intron and encodes a 266 amino acid polypeptide with a calculated molecular weight of 29.4kDa. The EsdC protein is conserved among filamentous fungi and has a domain with similarity to a glycogen binding domain conserved in the beta subunit of the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) complex. Although the esdD gene was expressed during asexual development, the expression reached its maximum at 10h and decreased thereafter up to 50h after the end of the induction of sexual development. In an esdC-null mutant under a veA(+) background, no sexual structures were formed at any condition examined. However, esdC overexpression did not lead to an induction of sexual development. In addition, to the effect of the esdC mutation on the sexual development, more conidiophores were formed in the esdC-null mutant than in a wild type. These results indicate that the esdC gene is necessary for sexual structure formation but its overexpression is not sufficient to enhance this process. Expression of the esdC gene throughout development was positively regulated by the veA gene. In addition, very little and no esdC transcript, respectively, was observed in an flbA-null mutant and in a fadA(G42R) mutant, and the esdC transcript level was higher in a fadA-null mutant and in a sfaD-null mutant than in a wild type, indicating that inactivation of FadA is necessary for positive regulation of esdC expression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Woosuk University, Wanju, Chonbuk 575-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Kap-Hoon
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Jong Hwa
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hosun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: Serha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sung-Suk
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Dong-Min
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Kwang-Yeop
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Jahng
authors.forename: Keon-Sang
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Chae
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001233:Aspergillus nidulans / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D001665:Binding Sites / Q000235:genetics; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D020962:Heterotrimeric GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D007438:Introns / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D005656:Fungal Proteins; D020962:Heterotrimeric GTP-Binding Proteins