Neurospora crassa 1,3-α-glucan synthase, AGS-1, is required for cell wall biosynthesis during macroconidia development.
The Neurospora crassa genome encodes two 1,3-α-glucan synthases. One of these 1,3-α-glucan synthase genes, ags-1, was shown to be required for the synthesis of 1,3-α-glucan in the aerial hyphae and macroconidia cell walls. 1,3-α-Glucan was found in the conidia cell wall, but was absent from the vegetative hyphae cell wall. Deletion of ags-1 affected conidial development. Δags-1 produced only 5 % as many conidia as the WT and most of the conidia produced by Δags-1 were not viable. The ags-1 upstream regulatory elements were shown to direct cell-type-specific expression of red fluorescent protein in conidia and aerial hyphae. A haemagglutinin-tagged AGS-1 was found to be expressed in aerial hyphae and conidia. The research showed that 1,3-α-glucan is an aerial hyphae and conidia cell wall component, and is required for normal conidial differentiation.
Department of Biological Sciences, SUNY University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA.
Ci
C
Fu
Department of Biological Sciences, SUNY University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA.
Asuma
A
Tanaka
Department of Biological Sciences, SUNY University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA.
Stephen J
SJ
Free
D002473:Cell Wall / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005936:Glucans / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005964:Glucosyltransferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D025301:Hyphae / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009492:Neurospora crassa / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism
D005656:Fungal Proteins; D005936:Glucans; D005964:Glucosyltransferases; C040232:glucan synthase