Cloning and characterization of the BLR2, the homologue of the blue-light regulator of Neurospora crassa WC-2, in the phytopathogenic fungus Bipolaris oryzae.
Bipolaris oryzae is a filamentous ascomycetous fungus that causes brown leaf spot disease in rice. We isolated and characterized BLR2, a gene that encodes a putative blue-light regulator similar to Neurospora crassa white collar-2 (WC-2). The deduced amino acid sequence of the BLR2 showed significant homology to other fungal blue-light regulator proteins in the Per-Arnt-Sim (PAS) protein-protein interaction domain, nuclear localization signal, and GATA zinc finger DNA-binding domains. The BLR2-silenced transformants hardly produced conidia in the subsequent dark condition after near-ultraviolet (NUV) irradiation. Furthermore, the BLR2-silenced transformants suppressed the photolyase (PHR1) gene expression enhanced by NUV irradiation. These results indicate that BLR2 is necessary not only for conidial formation, but also for NUV radiation-enhanced photolyase gene expression in B. oryzae.
Moriwaki
Akihiro
A
Faculty of Life and Environmental Science, Shimane University, Matsue, Shimane 690-8504, Japan.
Katsube
Hirofumi
H
Ueno
Makoto
M
Arase
Sakae
S
Kihara
Junichi
J
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001203:Ascomycota / Q000235:genetics* / Q000528:radiation effects; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D020868:Gene Silencing; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009492:Neurospora crassa / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000254:growth & development / Q000528:radiation effects; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C103772:white collar 2 protein, Neurospora