High mobility group (HMG-box) genes in the honeybee fungal pathogen Ascosphaera apis.
The genome of the honeybee fungal pathogen Ascosphaera apis (Maassen) encodes three putative high mobility group (HMG-box) transcription factors. The predicted proteins (MAT1-2, STE11 and HTF), each of which contain a single strongly conserved HMG-box, exhibit high similarity to mating type proteins and STE11-like transcription factors previously identified in other ascomycete fungi, some of them important plant and human pathogens. In this study we characterized the A. apis HMG-box containing genes and analyzed the structure of the mating type locus (MAT1-2) and its flanking regions. The MAT1-2 locus contains a single gene encoding a protein with an HMG-box. We also have determined the transcriptional patterns of all three HMG-box containing genes in both mating type idiomorphs and discuss a potential role of these transcription factors in A. apis development and reproduction. A multiplex PCR method with primers amplifying mat1-2-1 and Ste11 gene fragments is described. This new method allows for identification of a single mating type idiomorph and might become an essential tool for applied and basic research of chalkbrood disease in honeybees.
Aronstein
K A
KA
Honey Bee Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Weslaco, Texas 78596, USA. karonstein@weslaco.ars.usda.gov
Murray
K D
KD
de León
J H
JH
Qin
X
X
Weinstock
G M
GM
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001516:Bees / Q000382:microbiology*; D019295:Computational Biology; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D049770:Genes, Mating Type, Fungal; D024742:HMG-Box Domains / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020036:Onygenales / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D005656:Fungal Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors