Molecular Genetics of Conidial Morphogenesis in Neurospora Crassa

真菌是真核生物系统的模型，为研究生长发育的细胞调控过程提供了分子基础。 粗糙脉孢菌和许多其他真菌物种产生无性孢子，称为分生孢子，这是传播的重要手段。 这项研究的目的是确定这个简单的发育过程的分子基础。 几个遗传位点调控N. crassa和fluffy基因是其中最好的特征。 预测的蓬松蛋白质具有Gal4型转录因子的序列相似性。 这项工作的主要目标是表征蓬松的功能。 蓬松的蛋白质有区域表明它是一个转录因子。 这将受到考验。 通过从异源启动子表达fluffy来测试Fluffy作为形态发生调节剂的作用。绒毛诱导的基因激活的遗传要求将通过检查发育突变体中分生孢子诱导的基因表达来确定。 生理变化伴随着发育，代谢状态与发育的关系一直是N. 30多年来， 建议的研究结果将提供一个更深入的了解如何N。crassa调节分生孢子的形成。 营养、光照和生物钟都有助于调节分生孢子产生的时间和丰度。 阐明调控分生孢子形成的机制将为理解响应不同环境信号的信号转导途径如何共同控制细胞分化提供基础。拟议研究的第二个目标是研究生理变化与发育之间的关系。 该项目将利用一种新技术，通过微阵列分析的转录谱，以评估响应于fluffy表达升高而发生的代谢变化。 丝状真菌是一种多样的生物群体，对社会有着巨大的影响。 真菌在有机物质的腐烂和循环中起着重要的作用。 它们也是植物和动物的重要病原体，并用于酶，化学品和药物的工业生产。 更好地了解丝状真菌的生理和发育对于操纵真菌以提高生产力和人类健康的目标是重要的。 本项目将整合调控分生孢子形成的分子事件和与真菌发育和对环境信号反应相关的生理事件。

Fungi provide model eukaryotic systems for molecular studies of the cellular processes regulating growth and development. Neurospora crassa and many other fungal species produce asexual spores, called conidia, that are an important means of dispersal. The goal of this research is to define the molecular basis of this simple developmental process. Several genetic loci regulate conidial development in N. crassa and the fluffy gene is the best characterized of these. The predicted fluffy protein has sequence similarity to Gal4-type transcription factors. The primary objective of the work is to characterize the function of fluffy. The fluffy protein has regions suggesting it is a transcription factor. This will be tested. Fluffy's role as a regulator of morphogenesis will be tested by expression of fluffy from a heterologous promoter. The genetic requirements for fluffy-induced gene activation will be determined by examination of conidiation-induced gene expression in developmental mutants. Physiological changes are known to accompany development and the relationship between metabolic state and development has been a topic of interest in N. crassa for over 30 years. The results of the proposed research will provide a deeper understanding of how N. crassa regulates conidiation. Nutrients, light and the circadian clock all contribute to regulation of the timing and abundance of conidia production. Elucidation of the mechanisms that regulate conidiation will provide a foundation for understanding how signal transduction pathways responding to different environmental signals operate together to control cellular differentiation. A second objective of the proposed research is to examine the relationship between physiological changes and development. This project will take advantage of a new technology, transcriptional profiling through analysis of microarrays, to assess the metabolic changes that occur in response to elevated expression of fluffy. Filamentous fungi are a diverse group of organisms with a tremendous impact on society. Fungi play important roles in the decay and recycling of organic material. They are also important pathogens of plants and animals and are used in industrial production of enzymes, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals. A better understanding of the physiology and development of filamentous fungi is important to the goal of manipulating fungi for the purpose of increasing productivity and human health. This project will integrate the molecular events regulating conidiation with physiological events associated with development and responses of fungi to environmental signals.