Originally published as Genetics Published Articles Ahead of Print on December 30, 2005.

Genetics, Vol. 172, 1521-1533, March 2006, Copyright © 2006
doi:10.1534/genetics.105.047381

Pheromones and Pheromone Receptors Are Required for Proper Sexual Development in the Homothallic Ascomycete Sordaria macrospora

Severine Mayrhofer, Jan M. Weber and Stefanie Pöggeler1

Department of General and Molecular Botany, Ruhr-University of Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany

1 Corresponding author: Ruhr-University of Bochum, ND6/161, Universitätsstrasse 150, 44780 Bochum, Germany. 
E-mail: stefanie.poeggeler{at}rub.de

The homothallic, filamentous ascomycete Sordaria macrospora is self-fertile and produces sexual fruiting bodies (perithecia) without a mating partner. Even so, S. macrospora transcriptionally expresses two pheromone-precursor genes (ppg1 and ppg2) and two pheromone-receptor genes (pre1 and pre2). The proteins encoded by these genes are similar to {alpha}-factor-like and a-factor-like pheromones and to G-protein-coupled pheromone receptors of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. It has been suggested that in S. macrospora, PPG1/PRE2 and PPG2/PRE1 form two cognate pheromone–receptor pairs. To investigate their function, we deleted ({Delta}) pheromone-precursor genes ({Delta}ppg1, {Delta}ppg2) and receptor genes ({Delta}pre1, {Delta}pre2) and generated single- as well as double-knockout strains. No effect on vegetative growth, fruiting-body, and ascospore development was seen in the single pheromone-mutant and receptor-mutant strains, respectively. However, double-knockout strains lacking any compatible pheromone-receptor pair ({Delta}pre2/{Delta}ppg2, {Delta}pre1/{Delta}ppg1) and the double-pheromone mutant ({Delta}ppg1/{Delta}ppg2) displayed a drastically reduced number of perithecia and sexual spores, whereas deletion of both receptor genes ({Delta}pre1/{Delta}pre2) completely eliminated fruiting-body and ascospore formation. The results suggest that pheromones and pheromone receptors are required for optimal sexual reproduction of the homothallic S. macrospora.




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 GeneticsHome page
J. Kamerewerd, M. Jansson, M. Nowrousian, S. Poggeler, and U. Kuck
Three {alpha}-Subunits of Heterotrimeric G Proteins and an Adenylyl Cyclase Have Distinct Roles in Fruiting Body Development in the Homothallic Fungus Sordaria macrospora
Genetics, September 1, 2008; 180(1): 191 - 206.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Eukaryot CellHome page
J. Lee, J. F. Leslie, and R. L. Bowden
Expression and Function of Sex Pheromones and Receptors in the Homothallic Ascomycete Gibberella zeae
Eukaryot. Cell, July 1, 2008; 7(7): 1211 - 1221.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Mol Biol EvolHome page
M. Karlsson, K. Nygren, and H. Johannesson
The Evolution of the Pheromonal Signal System and Its Potential Role for Reproductive Isolation in Heterothallic Neurospora
Mol. Biol. Evol., January 1, 2008; 25(1): 168 - 178.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Eukaryot CellHome page
I. Engh, C. Wurtz, K. Witzel-Schlomp, H. Y. Zhang, B. Hoff, M. Nowrousian, H. Rottensteiner, and U. Kuck
The WW Domain Protein PRO40 Is Required for Fungal Fertility and Associates with Woronin Bodies
Eukaryot. Cell, May 1, 2007; 6(5): 831 - 843.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Eukaryot CellHome page
G. Huyer, A. Kistler, F. J. Nouvet, C. M. George, M. L. Boyle, and S. Michaelis
Saccharomyces cerevisiae a-Factor Mutants Reveal Residues Critical for Processing, Activity, and Export.
Eukaryot. Cell, September 1, 2006; 5(9): 1560 - 1570.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]