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Genetics, Vol. 160, 935-947, March 2002, Copyright © 2002

Isolation and Characterization of the Cryptococcus neoformans MATa Pheromone Gene

Carol M. McClellanda, Jianmin Fua, Gay L. Woodleea, Tara S. Seymoura, and Brian L. Wickesa
a Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas 78229-3900

Corresponding author: Brian L. Wickes, Mail Code 7758, University of Texas Health Science Center, 7703 Floyd Curl Dr., San Antonio, TX 78229-3900., wickes{at}uthscsa.edu (E-mail)

Communicating editor: J. RINE

Cryptococcus neoformans is a heterothallic basidiomycete with two mating types, MATa and MAT{alpha}. The mating pathway of this fungus has a number of conserved genes, including a MAT{alpha}-specific pheromone (MF{alpha}1). A modified differential display strategy was used to identify a gene encoding the MATa pheromone. The gene, designated MFa1, is 42 amino acids in length and contains a conserved farnesylation motif. MFa1 is present in three linked copies that span a 20-kb fragment of MATa-specific DNA and maps to the MAT-containing chromosome. Transformation studies showed that MFa1 induced filament formation only in MAT{alpha} cells, demonstrating that MFa1 is functionally conserved. Sequence analysis of the predicted Mfa1 and Mf{alpha}1 proteins revealed that, in contrast to other fungi such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the C. neoformans pheromone genes are structurally and functionally conserved. However, unlike the MF{alpha}1 gene, which is found in MAT{alpha} strains of both varieties of C. neoformans, MFa1 is specific for the neoformans variety of C. neoformans.





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