Suppressor mutations bypass the requirement of fluG for asexual sporulation and sterigmatocystin production in Aspergillus nidulans. 2003

Jeong-Ah Seo, and Yajun Guan, and Jae-Hyuk Yu
Department of Food Microbiology and Toxicology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706-1187, USA.

Asexual sporulation (conidiation) in the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans requires the early developmental activator fluG. Loss of fluG results in the blockage of both conidiation and production of the mycotoxin sterigmatocystin (ST). To investigate molecular mechanisms of fluG-dependent developmental activation, 40 suppressors of fluG (SFGs) that conidiate without fluG have been isolated and characterized. Genetic analyses showed that an individual suppression is caused by a single second-site mutation, and that all sfg mutations but one are recessive. Pairwise meiotic crosses grouped mutations to four loci, 31 of them to sfgA, 6 of them to sfgB, and 1 each to sfgC and sfgD, respectively. The only dominant mutation, sfgA38, also mapped to the sfgA locus, suggesting a dominant negative mutation. Thirteen sfgA and 1 sfgC mutants elaborated conidiophores in liquid submerged culture, indicating that loss of either of these gene functions not only bypasses fluG function but also results in hyperactive conidiation. While sfg mutants show varying levels of restored conidiation, all recovered the ability to produce ST at near wild-type levels. The fact that at least four loci are defined by recessive sfg mutations indicates that multiple genes negatively regulate conidiation downstream of fluG and that the activity of fluG is required to remove such repressive effects.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D009154 Mutation Any detectable and heritable change in the genetic material that causes a change in the GENOTYPE and which is transmitted to daughter cells and to succeeding generations. Mutations
D005800 Genes, Fungal The functional hereditary units of FUNGI. Fungal Genes,Fungal Gene,Gene, Fungal
D001233 Aspergillus nidulans A species of imperfect fungi from which the antibiotic nidulin is obtained. Its teleomorph is Emericella nidulans. Aspergillus nidulellus,Emericella nidulans
D013172 Spores, Fungal Reproductive bodies produced by fungi. Conidia,Fungal Spores,Conidium,Fungal Spore,Spore, Fungal
D013241 Sterigmatocystin A carcinogenic mycotoxin produced in high yields by strains of the common molds, Aspergillus versicolor, A. nidulans, and an unidentified species of Bipolaris. It causes necrosis of the liver and kidney and has an inhibitory effect on orotic acid incorporation into nuclear RNA.
D016153 Genes, Suppressor Genes that have a suppressor allele or suppressor mutation (SUPPRESSION, GENETIC) which cancels the effect of a previous mutation, enabling the wild-type phenotype to be maintained or partially restored. For example, amber suppressors cancel the effect of an AMBER NONSENSE MUTATION. Amber Suppressor Genes,Frameshift Suppressor Genes,Genes, Amber Suppressor,Genes, Frameshift Suppressor,Genes, Nonsense Mutation Suppressor,Genes, Ochre Suppressor,Genes, Second-Site Suppressor,Nonsense Mutation Suppressor Genes,Ochre Suppressor Genes,Second-Site Suppressor Genes,Genes, Opal Suppressor,Suppressor Genes,Amber Suppressor Gene,Frameshift Suppressor Gene,Gene, Amber Suppressor,Gene, Frameshift Suppressor,Gene, Ochre Suppressor,Gene, Opal Suppressor,Gene, Second-Site Suppressor,Gene, Suppressor,Genes, Second Site Suppressor,Ochre Suppressor Gene,Opal Suppressor Gene,Opal Suppressor Genes,Second Site Suppressor Genes,Second-Site Suppressor Gene,Suppressor Gene,Suppressor Gene, Amber,Suppressor Gene, Frameshift,Suppressor Gene, Ochre,Suppressor Gene, Opal,Suppressor Gene, Second-Site,Suppressor Genes, Amber,Suppressor Genes, Frameshift,Suppressor Genes, Ochre,Suppressor Genes, Opal,Suppressor Genes, Second-Site
D016296 Mutagenesis Process of generating a genetic MUTATION. It may occur spontaneously or be induced by MUTAGENS. Mutageneses

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