scholarly journals Sexuality in Neurospora crassa I. Mutations to male sterility

1972 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 191-204 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Weijer ◽  
N. V. Vigfusson
Keyword(s):  
Neurospora Crassa ◽  
Male Sterility ◽  
Wide Spectrum ◽  
Female Parent ◽  
Behaviour Pattern ◽  
Type Locus ◽  
Development Cycle ◽  
Ultraviolet Light Irradiation ◽  
Mutant Strains ◽  
Aberrant Segregation

SUMMARYMutations giving rise to sexual sterility were induced in Neurospora crassa macroconidia by ultraviolet-light irradiation. Thirty mutants were isolated on the basis of their male sterility in crosses with a wild-type strain. When used as the male parent these mutants exhibited a wide spectrum of sexual behaviour patterns ranging from the production of only small brown protoperithecia (complete male sterility) to the production of large and normally pigmented perithecia but with an undeveloped ostiole and very few if any spores. For many of the mutants the behaviour pattern is different when the strain is used as the female parent. Segregation data reveal that none of these mutants represent mutations of the mating-type locus. These findings suggest that the sexual development cycle is blocked at various stages in the different mutant strains. All attempts to restore fertility by supplying various additives to the medium or by varying the incubation time and temperature were unsuccessful. Conidial viability tests carried out on many of the strains revealed no abnormality in this respect. The aberrant segregation patterns exhibited by many of the mutants are discussed.

scholarly journals Adenosine kinase-deficient mutant of Neurospora crassa

1982 ◽  
Vol 152 (3) ◽  
pp. 1292-1294
Author(s):  
J M Magill ◽  
P Dalke ◽  
T S Lyda ◽  
C W Magill
Keyword(s):  
Neurospora Crassa ◽  
Resistant Mutant ◽  
Adenosine Kinase ◽  
Deficient Mutant ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Purine Nucleotides ◽  
Mutant Strains

Tubercidin-resistant mutant strains of Neurospora crassa were isolated, and at least one appeared to be deficient in adenosine kinase. No significant differences in [8-14C]adenosine labeling of purine nucleotides or nucleosides were found between the wild type and the adenosine kinase-deficient strains.

scholarly journals PROTOPLASMIC INCOMPATIBILITY AND CELL LYSIS IN PODOSPORA ANSERINA. I. GENETIC INVESTIGATIONS ON MUTATIONS OF A NOVEL MODIFIER GENE THAT SUPPRESSES CELL DESTRUCTION

Genetics ◽  
1977 ◽  
Vol 87 (2) ◽  
pp. 249-257
Author(s):  
Jacques Labarere ◽  
Jean Bernet
Keyword(s):  
Cell Lysis ◽  
Podospora Anserina ◽  
Modifier Gene ◽  
The Self ◽  
Obvious Effect ◽  
Type Locus ◽  
Modifier Locus ◽  
The Third ◽  
Cell Destruction ◽  
Mutant Strains

ABSTRACT In Podospora anserina, protoplasmic incompatibility (a phenomenon that prevents heterokaryon formation because of the destruction of the fused cells) can be studied in homokaryotic strains that combine nonallelic incompatibility genes or carry mutations at the lys loci. In these strains cell destruction occurs early in development and is associated with an arrest of growth.—From the self-lysing strains lysA(1) and RV (R and V are nonallelic incompatibility genes) mutations have been selected that suppress the self-lysing trait, i.e., that prevent cell destruction and remove growth inhibition. Some of them were derived from a novel modifier locus, modC, located near the mating-type locus.—In C/D and C/E incompatibility systems, modC mutations, which per se have no obvious effect, were considered in addition to mutations in the previously identified modifier loci, modA and modB. The demonstration of a functional interdependence among the three mod genes suggested that modC is not the structural gene for the protease associated with cell lysis, but is involved, like modA and modB, in its control.—All three modC mutant strains investigated exhibit defects in the formation of protoperithecia, suggesting that the modC gene function is essential to the occurrence or development of the female organs. This is the third argument that supports the hypothesis (Boucherie, Bégueret and Bernet 1976) that protoplasmic incompatibility and female organ formation might be related phenomena.

Glutamate synthase levels in Neurospora crassa mutants altered with respect to nitrogen metabolism

1981 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 158-164
Author(s):  
N S Dunn-Coleman ◽  
E A Robey ◽  
A B Tomsett ◽  
R H Garrett
Keyword(s):  
Neurospora Crassa ◽  
Glutamate Dehydrogenase ◽  
Nitrogen Metabolism ◽  
Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Phosphate ◽  
Glutamate Synthase ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Mutant Strains ◽  
Synthase Regulation ◽  
Glutamate Biosynthesis ◽  
Glutamine Limitation

Glutamate synthase catalyzes glutamate formation from 2-oxoglutarate plus glutamine and plays an essential role when glutamate biosynthesis by glutamate dehydrogenase is not possible. Glutamate synthase activity has been determined in a number of Neurospora crassa mutant strains with various defects in nitrogen metabolism. Of particular interest were two mutants phenotypically mute except in an am (biosynthetic nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-glutamate dehydrogenase deficient, glutamate requiring) background. These mutants, i and en-am, are so-called enhancers of am; they have been redesignated herein as en(am)-1 and en(am)-2, respectively. Although glutamate synthase levels in en(am)-1 were essentially wild type, the en(am)-2 strain was devoid of glutamate synthase activity under all conditions examined, suggesting that en(am)-2 may be the structural locus for glutamate synthase. Regulation of glutamate synthase occurred to some extent, presumably in response to glutamate requirements. Glutamate starvation, as in am mutants, led to enhanced activity. In contrast, glutamine limitation, as in gln-1 mutants, depressed glutamate synthase levels.

scholarly journals A Light-Inducible Strain for Genome-Wide Histone Turnover Profiling in Neurospora crassa

Genetics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 215 (3) ◽  
pp. 569-578
Author(s):  
William K. Storck ◽  
Sabrina Z. Abdulla ◽  
Michael R. Rountree ◽  
Vincent T. Bicocca ◽  
Eric U. Selker
Keyword(s):  
Neurospora Crassa ◽  
Histone H3 ◽  
Chromatin Accessibility ◽  
Histone Octamer ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Incubation Periods ◽  
Mutant Strains ◽  
Functional Consequences ◽  
Dynamic Structures ◽  
Histone Exchange

In chromatin, nucleosomes are composed of ∼146 bp of DNA wrapped around a histone octamer, and are highly dynamic structures subject to remodeling and exchange. Histone turnover has previously been implicated in various processes including the regulation of chromatin accessibility, segregation of chromatin domains, and dilution of histone marks. Histones in different chromatin environments may turnover at different rates, possibly with functional consequences. Neurospora crassa sports a chromatin environment that is more similar to that of higher eukaryotes than yeasts, which have been utilized in the past to explore histone exchange. We constructed a simple light-inducible system to profile histone exchange in N. crassa on a 3xFLAG-tagged histone H3 under the control of the rapidly inducible vvd promoter. After induction with blue light, incorporation of tagged H3 into chromatin occurred within 20 min. Previous studies of histone turnover involved considerably longer incubation periods and relied on a potentially disruptive change of medium for induction. We used this reporter to explore replication-independent histone turnover at genes and examine changes in histone turnover at heterochromatin domains in different heterochromatin mutant strains. In euchromatin, H3-3xFLAG patterns were almost indistinguishable from that observed in wild-type in all mutant backgrounds tested, suggesting that loss of heterochromatin machinery has little effect on histone turnover in euchromatin. However, turnover at heterochromatin domains increased with loss of trimethylation of lysine 9 of histone H3 or HP1, but did not depend on DNA methylation. Our reporter strain provides a simple yet powerful tool to assess histone exchange across multiple chromatin contexts.

Drug Therapy in Mental Handicap

1975 ◽  
Vol 127 (6) ◽  
pp. 545-549 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Kirman
Keyword(s):  
Drug Therapy ◽  
Wide Spectrum ◽  
Specific Treatment ◽  
Behaviour Pattern ◽  
Mentally Handicapped ◽  
Mental Handicap ◽  
Environmental Manipulation ◽  
Holding Device ◽  
Spectrum Of Patients

SummaryDefinitions of mental handicap are imprecise in practice, and a wide spectrum of patients are provided for under this heading. There can be no question of specific treatment for ‘mental handicap’ as such. Many situations arising in institutions for the mentally handicapped derive from the nature of the institution and the regime. Drugs may be used ‘faute de mieux’ when environmental manipulation would be more appropriate. There is much overprescribing, and the choice of drugs is not always logical; monitoring of dose is seldom employed. A major source of behaviour disturbance in the mentally handicapped is lack of suitable occupation. Apart from a few specific indications, use of sedatives and tranquillizers for the mentally handicapped should be seen as a holding device, to enable a different system of management to be adopted or to disrupt an undesirable behaviour pattern.

scholarly journals Glutamate synthase levels in Neurospora crassa mutants altered with respect to nitrogen metabolism.

1981 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 158-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
N S Dunn-Coleman ◽  
E A Robey ◽  
A B Tomsett ◽  
R H Garrett
Keyword(s):  
Neurospora Crassa ◽  
Glutamate Dehydrogenase ◽  
Nitrogen Metabolism ◽  
Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Phosphate ◽  
Glutamate Synthase ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Mutant Strains ◽  
Synthase Regulation ◽  
Glutamate Biosynthesis ◽  
Glutamine Limitation

Glutamate synthase catalyzes glutamate formation from 2-oxoglutarate plus glutamine and plays an essential role when glutamate biosynthesis by glutamate dehydrogenase is not possible. Glutamate synthase activity has been determined in a number of Neurospora crassa mutant strains with various defects in nitrogen metabolism. Of particular interest were two mutants phenotypically mute except in an am (biosynthetic nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-glutamate dehydrogenase deficient, glutamate requiring) background. These mutants, i and en-am, are so-called enhancers of am; they have been redesignated herein as en(am)-1 and en(am)-2, respectively. Although glutamate synthase levels in en(am)-1 were essentially wild type, the en(am)-2 strain was devoid of glutamate synthase activity under all conditions examined, suggesting that en(am)-2 may be the structural locus for glutamate synthase. Regulation of glutamate synthase occurred to some extent, presumably in response to glutamate requirements. Glutamate starvation, as in am mutants, led to enhanced activity. In contrast, glutamine limitation, as in gln-1 mutants, depressed glutamate synthase levels.

scholarly journals Asexual Development Is Increased in Neurospora crassa cat-3-Null Mutant Strains

2003 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 798-808 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaday Michán ◽  
Fernando Lledías ◽  
Wilhelm Hansberg
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Neurospora Crassa ◽  
Mutant Strain ◽  
Protein Oxidation ◽  
Stress Conditions ◽  
Asexual Development ◽  
Air Exposure ◽  
Aerial Hyphae ◽  
Mutant Strains ◽  
Carotene Synthesis

ABSTRACT We use asexual development of Neurospora crassa as a model system with which to determine the causes of cell differentiation. Air exposure of a mycelial mat induces hyphal adhesion, and adherent hyphae grow aerial hyphae that, in turn, form conidia. Previous work indicated the development of a hyperoxidant state at the start of these morphogenetic transitions and a large increase in catalase activity during conidiation. Catalase 3 (CAT-3) increases at the end of exponential growth and is induced by different stress conditions. Here we analyzed the effects of cat-3-null strains on growth and asexual development. The lack of CAT-3 was not compensated by other catalases, even under oxidative stress conditions, and cat-3RIP colonies were sensitive to H2O2, indicating that wild-type (Wt) resistance to external H2O2 was due to CAT-3. cat-3RIP colonies grown in the dark produced high levels of carotenes as a consequence of oxidative stress. Light exacerbated oxidative stress and further increased carotene synthesis. In the cat-3RIP mutant strain, increased aeration in liquid cultures led to increased hyphal adhesion and protein oxidation. Compared to the Wt, the cat-3RIP mutant strain produced six times more aerial hyphae and conidia in air-exposed mycelial mats, as a result of longer and more densely packed aerial hyphae. Protein oxidation in colonies was threefold higher and showed more aerial hyphae and conidia in mutant strains than did the Wt. Results indicate that oxidative stress due to lack of CAT-3 induces carotene synthesis, hyphal adhesion, and more aerial hyphae and conidia.

A SEARCH FOR COMPLEXITY AT THE MATING-TYPE LOCUS OF NEUROSPORA CRASSA

1973 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 577-585 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorothy Newmeyer ◽  
H. Branch Howe Jr. ◽  
Donna R. Galeazzi
Keyword(s):  
Neurospora Crassa ◽  
Mating Type ◽  
Adjacent Gene ◽  
Opposite Mating Type ◽  
Type Locus ◽  
Linked Gene ◽  
Heterokaryon Incompatibility ◽  
Mating Type Locus ◽  
Incompatibility Reaction ◽  
The Right

Evidence for complexity at the mating-type locus of Neurospora crassa was sought by selecting recombinants between closely linked markers on either side. All recombinants were tested for crossing ability, to test the hypothesis that the two mating-type alleles are actually closely linked self-sterile mutants; such tests should also detect subunits analogous to the α and β subunits of the A factor of Schizophyllum or Coprinus. No change in crossing ability was found among the 5,019 recombinants tested, representing 235,000 viable ascospores. The results indicate that if subunits exist, they are not more than 0.002 units apart. Twelve hundred and forty of the recombinants were tested in a way that should also have detected subunits analogous to the A and B factors of Schizophyllum and Coprinus, except that A and B would be closely linked. No such subunits were detected.N. crassa strains of opposite mating type are heterokaryon-incompatible during vegetative growth, and observations of various investigators have suggested that the heterokaryon incompatibility might be controlled by a separate closely-linked gene rather than by mating type itself. A sample of the recombinants was therefore tested for separation of the heterokaryon-incompatibility and crossing-compatibility functions. (Heterokaryon-incompatibility was scored by the presence of an incompatibility reaction in duplications heterozygous for mating type; this technique is simple and eliminates complications due to unlinked heterokaryon-incompatibility loci, several of which are known in N. crassa.) No separation was found. The results indicate that if an adjacent gene is responsible for the heterokaryon-incompatibility, it is not more than 0.0078 units from mating type, if on the left, and not more than 0.018 units from mating type, if on the right.

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