MOLECULAR ANALYSIS OF ASEXUAL DEVELOPMENT IN FUNGI

真菌作为病原体直接影响动物和人类的健康， 尤其是在免疫受损的个体中。他们也是 对间接造成粮食作物病害和变质负有责任 影响人类健康。对分子机制的理解 控制丝状真菌中的基因表达将有助于提供 洞察力需要制定应对生活真菌感染的策略 有机体。 无性发育是大多数真菌生命周期的关键阶段。 本项目将侧重于了解开发和开发的相互作用 基因表达。丝状子囊菌粗糙脉孢霉 特别适合于这些研究，因为丰富的遗传和 无性孢子发育过程中可获得的生化指标及其简易开发 队形。分子生物学方法在生物医学研究中的应用进展 对粗枝线虫的研究极大地促进了无性生殖的检查。 发展。它是目前世界上最发达的系统之一 分析丝状真菌中的基因表达。 这个项目的具体目标是确定基因调控 粗面金线虫无性发育的调控机制。 启动子分析将确定所需的DNA序列元件 基因的发育表达。蛋白质因子的生化分析 与这些DNA序列的结合将精确地定义 顺式和反式调节元件。在一种补充方法中， 在时间或空间调节中发生改变的突变体 发育中表达的基因将被分离出来。特征描述 这些突变体将定义参与控制的调控网络 这种真菌中的孢子形成。这项工作也将为我们的 对真核生物中基因表达的一般了解。

Fungi directly affect the health of animals and humans as pathogens, particularly in immunologically compromised individuals. They also are responsible for causing disease and spoilage of food crops that indirectly impact human health. An understanding of the molecular mechanisms governing gene expression in the filamentous fungi will help provide the insight needed to develop strategies against fungal infection of living organisms. Asexual development is a critical phase in the fife cycle of most fungi. This project will focus on understanding the interaction of development and gene expression. The filamentous ascomycete Neurospora crassa is particularly suited for these studies because of the wealth of genetic and biochemical data available and its simple development during asexual spore formation. Recent progress in applying molecular biological approaches to the study of N. crassa has greatly facilitated examination of asexual development. N. crassa is one of the most highly developed systems for analyzing gene expression in filamentous fungi. The specific goal of this project is to determine the genetic regulatory mechanisms involved in controlling asexual development in N. crassa. Promoter analyses will identify DNA sequence elements required for developmental expression of genes. Biochemical analyses of protein factors that bind to these DNA sequences will precisely define the interaction of cis- and trans-acting regulatory elements. In a complementary approach, mutants that are altered in the temporal or spatial regulation of developmentally expressed genes will be isolated. Characterization of these mutants will define the regulatory network involved in controlling spore formation in this fungus. This work will also contribute to our general understanding of gene expression in eukaryotic organisms.