Single mating type-specific genes and their 3′ UTRs control mating and fertility in Cochliobolus heterostrophus

Abstract

To determine the number of proteins required for mating type (MAT) locus-regulated control of mating in Cochliobolus heterostrophus, MAT fragments of various sizes were expressed in MAT deletion strains. As little as 1.5 kb of MAT sequence, encoding a single unique protein in each mating type (MAT-1 and MAT-2), conferred mating ability, although an additional 160 bp of 3^′ UTR was needed for production of ascospores. No other mating type-specific genes involved in mating identity or fertility were found. Thus, although homologs of the C. heterostrophus MAT-1 and MAT-2 genes exist in the filamentous ascomycetes Neurospora crassa and Podospora anserina, C. heterostrophus does not appear to have mating type-specific homologs of two additional genes required by both N. crassa and P.␣anserina for successful sexual reproduction. Three genes were identified in the common DNA flanking the MAT locus: a gene encoding a GTPase-activating protein and an ORF of unknown function lie 5^′ while a β-glucosidase encoding gene lies found 3^′. None of these genes appears to be involving in the mating process.