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doi:10.1534/genetics.106.066167
A more recent version of this article appeared on June 1, 2007.
REGULAR RESEARCH PAPERS |
Gametogenesis in the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii minus Mating Type is Controlled by Two Genes, MID and MTD1
Huawen Lin 1 and Ursula W. Goodenough 1*
1 Washington University in St. Louis
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: ursula{at}biology.wustl.edu.
Submitted on September 27, 2006
Revised on January 21, 2007
Accepted on 23 March 2007
In the unicellular algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, the plus and minus mating types are controlled by a complex locus, MT, where the dominant MID gene in the MT- locus has been shown to be necessary for expression of minus-specific gamete-specific genes in response to nitrogen depletion. We report studies on MID expression patterns during gametogenesis and on a second gene unique to the MT- locus, MTD1. Vegetative cells express basal levels of MID. An early activation of MID transcription after nitrogen removal, and its sequence similarity to plant RWP-RK proteins involved in nitrogen-responsive processes, suggests that Mid conformation/activity may be nitrogen-sensitive. A second stage of MID upregulation correlates with the acquisition of mating ability in minus gametes. Knockdown of MTD1 by RNAi in minus strains results in a failure to differentiate into gametes of either mating type after nitrogen deprivation. We propose that intermediate Mid levels are sufficient to activate MTD1 transcription and repress plus gamete-specific genes, and that MTD1 expression in turn allows the threshold-level MID expression needed to turn on minus gamete-specific genes. We further propose that an MTD1-equivalent system, utilizing at least one gene product encoded in the MT+ locus, is operant during plus gametogenesis.
Key Words: Chlamydomonas, Gametogenesis, Mating type, RNAi, RWP-RK family
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