MOLECULAR ANALYSIS OF SEXUAL DEVELOPMENT IN NEUROSPORA

这项研究的长期目标是描述性行为的特征 丝状真菌在分子水平上的发展。 虽然 这些生物具有巨大的经济和社会重要性， 他知道他们的发展。 研究较多的面包霉菌脉孢菌 crassa将被用作模式生物。 脉孢菌经历了 性分化的复杂过程;一些调节和 参与这一过程的靶向（交配特异性）基因 已经被确认了。 这些基因的结构和功能 将被审查，因为将控制他们的表达和 基因产物之间的相互作用。 交配特异性基因在性发育中的作用将在 使用反向遗传方法确定，观察到的表型 当这些基因功能失调时，将通过显微镜进行表征。 交配特异性基因的进化保守性将是 考察 导致这些基因表达的因素 特别是在性发育期间将进行研究;在初步 实验中，确定了三种控制途径。 的相互作用 这些控制途径之间将被检查，并寻找其他 参与控制基因表达的元件 发展将被执行。 一个基因的结构（核苷酸序列） 常规基因（fmf-1）和选择的交配特异性靶基因将被 确定，并检查其编码产品的属性。 的in 体外分析性行为过程中识别的调节元件 开发将使用迁移率变化分析和DNA 足迹实验;这项分析将有助于确定重要的 控制要素，并进一步界定监管机构所发挥的作用， 基因产物 最后，正常运行所需的事件层次结构 性发育的脉孢菌将被检查，通过确定 选定的过程对整个性发育的影响 通路 一些丝状真菌被开发用于生产有用的 化合物，但其他人造成毁灭性的疾病。 基本信息 关于控制他们的生命过程将允许明智地使用 有益真菌，也将进一步努力控制病原体。

The long term objective of this research is to characterize the sexual development of the filamentous fungi at the molecular level. Although these organisms are of vast economic and social importance, very little is known of their development. The much-studied bread mold Neurospora crassa will be used as the model organism. Neurospora undergoes a complex process of sexual differentiation; a number of the regulatory and target (mating-specific) genes that are involved in this process have already been identified. The structures and functions of these genes will be examined, as will the control of their expression and the interactions between their gene products. The roles of the mating-specific genes in sexual development will be determined using a reverse-genetic approach, and the phenotypes observed when these genes are dysfunctional will be characterized microscopically. The evolutionary conservation of the mating-specific genes will be examined. The factors that cause these genes to be expressed specifically during sexual development will be studied; in preliminary experiments, three control pathways were identified. The interactions between these control pathways will be examined, and a search for other elements involved in the control of gene expression during sexual development will be executed. The structures (nucleotide sequences) of a regular gene (fmf-1) and selected mating-specific target genes will be determined, and the properties of their encoded products examined. An in vitro analysis of the regulatory elements recognized during sexual development will be carried out using mobility shift assays and DNA footprinting experiments; this analysis will serve to identify important control elements and further define the roles played by the regulatory gene products. Finally, the hierarchy of events required for normal sexual development in Neurospora will be examined, by determining the effects of selected processes on the overall sexual developmental pathway. Some filamentous fungi are exploited for the production of useful compounds, but others cause devastating diseases. Basic information about the control of their life processes will allow judicious use of the beneficial fungi, and will also further efforts to control the pathogens.