help button home button Genetics eBMJ
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Originally published as Genetics Published Articles Ahead of Print on February 3, 2006.

Genetics, Vol. 172, 1877-1891, March 2006, Copyright © 2006
doi:10.1534/genetics.105.051128

This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Data Supplement
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
genetics.105.051128v1
172/3/1877    most recent
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by James, T. Y.
Right arrow Articles by Vilgalys, R.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by James, T. Y.
Right arrow Articles by Vilgalys, R.

Evolution of the Bipolar Mating System of the Mushroom Coprinellus disseminatus From Its Tetrapolar Ancestors Involves Loss of Mating-Type-Specific Pheromone Receptor Function

Timothy Y. James*,1, Prayook Srivilai{dagger}, Ursula Kües{dagger} and Rytas Vilgalys*

* Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708 and {dagger} Institute for Forest Botany, Georg-August-University, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany

1 Corresponding author: Department of Biology, Duke University, Science Dr., Box 90338, Durham, NC 27708.
E-mail: tyj2{at}duke.edu

Mating incompatibility in mushroom fungi is controlled by the mating-type loci. In tetrapolar species, two unlinked mating-type loci exist (A and B), whereas in bipolar species there is only one locus. The A and B mating-type loci encode homeodomain transcription factors and pheromones and pheromone receptors, respectively. Most mushroom species have a tetrapolar mating system, but numerous transitions to bipolar mating systems have occurred. Here we determined the genes controlling mating type in the bipolar mushroom Coprinellus disseminatus. Through positional cloning and degenerate PCR, we sequenced both the transcription factor and pheromone receptor mating-type gene homologs from C. disseminatus. Only the transcription factor genes segregate with mating type, discounting the hypothesis of genetic linkage between the A and B mating-type loci as the causal origin of bipolar mating behavior. The mating-type locus of C. disseminatus is similar to the A mating-type locus of the model species Coprinopsis cinerea and encodes two tightly linked pairs of homeodomain transcription factor genes. When transformed into C. cinerea, the C. disseminatus A and B homologs elicited sexual reactions like native mating-type genes. Although mating type in C. disseminatus is controlled by only the transcription factor genes, cellular functions appear to be conserved for both groups of genes.




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Eukaryot CellHome page
M. A. Coelho, A. Rosa, N. Rodrigues, A. Fonseca, and P. Goncalves
Identification of Mating Type Genes in the Bipolar Basidiomycetous Yeast Rhodosporidium toruloides: First Insight into the MAT Locus Structure of the Sporidiobolales
Eukaryot. Cell, June 1, 2008; 7(6): 1053 - 1061.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Eukaryot CellHome page
T. Giraud, R. Yockteng, M. Lopez-Villavicencio, G. Refregier, and M. E. Hood
Mating System of the Anther Smut Fungus Microbotryum violaceum: Selfing under Heterothallism
Eukaryot. Cell, May 1, 2008; 7(5): 765 - 775.
[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
J. A. Fraser, J. E. Stajich, E. J. Tarcha, G. T. Cole, D. O. Inglis, A. Sil, and J. Heitman
Evolution of the Mating Type Locus: Insights Gained from the Dimorphic Primary Fungal Pathogens Histoplasma capsulatum, Coccidioides immitis, and Coccidioides posadasii
Eukaryot. Cell, April 1, 2007; 6(4): 622 - 629.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2006 by the Genetics Society of America.