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doi:10.1534/genetics.105.051128
A more recent version of this article appeared on March 1, 2006.
REGULAR RESEARCH PAPERS |
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 2, Ursula Kues 2 and Rytas Vilgalys 1
1 Duke University
2 Georg August University Gottingen
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: tyj2{at}duke.edu.
Submitted on September 13, 2005
Revised on November 29, 2005
Accepted on 2 December 2005
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 homologues 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 homologues 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.
Key Words: Coprinus, balancing selection, homeodomain transcription factor, recombination, unifactorial
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