Cloning and characterization of Fpmtr1, an amino acid transporter gene of Fusarium proliferatum (Gibberella intermedia).

Fpmtr1, an amino acid transporter gene from Fusarium proliferatum was strongly expressed during conidial germination and repressed in late stationary phase. To identify the specific function of this gene, DeltaFpmtr1 knock-out mutants were generated by gene replacement. Vegetative growth of the DeltaFpmtr1 mutants was normal both in liquid and on solid media, but conidial germination was delayed.

Tagging target genes of the MAT1-2-1 transcription factor in Fusarium verticillioides (Gibberella fujikuroi MP-A).

Mating type in filamentous ascomycetes is controlled by idiomorphic alleles, named MAT1-1 and MAT1-2, which contain 1-3 genes. Of these genes MAT1-1-1 and MAT1-2-1 encode putative transcription factors and are thus considered to be the major regulators of sexual communication and mating. Fungi with no known sexual stage may also have fully functional mating type genes and therefore it was plausible to hypothesize that the MAT products may also regulate other types of genes not involved directly in the mating process.

The homologue of het-c of Neurospora crassa lacks vegetative compatibility function in Fusarium proliferatum.

For two fungal strains to be vegetatively compatible and capable of forming a stable vegetative heterokaryon they must carry matching alleles at a series of loci variously termed het or vic genes. Cloned het/vic genes from Neurospora crassa and Podospora anserina have no obvious functional similarity and have various cellular functions. Our objective was to identify the homologue of the Neurospora het-c gene in Fusarium proliferatum and to determine if this gene has a vegetative compatibility function in this economically important and widely dispersed fungal pathogen.