Species-Specific and Mating Type-Specific DNA Regions Adjacent to Mating Type Idiomorphs in the Genus Neurospora |
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Authors: | T. A. Randall and R. L. Metzenberg |
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Abstract: | Mating type idiomorphs control mating and subsequent sexual development in Neurospora crassa and were previously shown to be well conserved in other Neurospora species. The centromere-proximal flanks of the A and a idiomorphs, but not the distal flanks from representative heterothallic, pseudohomothallic, and homothallic Neurospora species contain apparent species-specific and/or mating type-specific sequences adjacent to the well-conserved idiomorphs. The variable flank is bordered by regions that are highly homologous in all species. The sequence of ~1 kb immediately flanking the conserved idiomorphs of each species was determined. Sequence identity between species ranged from 20% (essentially unrelated) to >90%. By contrast, the mt-A1 gene shows 88-98% identity. Sequence and hybridization data also show that the centromere-proximal flanks are very different between the two mating types for N. intermedia, N. discreta, and N. tetrasperma, but not for N. sitophila and N. crassa. The data suggest a close evolutionary relationship between several of the species; this is supported by phylogenetic analysis of their respective mt-A1 genes. The origin of the variable regions adjacent to the evolutionarily conserved mating type idiomorphs is unknown. |
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