dffA gene from Aspergillus oryzae encodes L-ornithine N5-oxygenase and is indispensable for deferriferrichrysin biosynthesis.

We identified and analyzed the dffA gene from Aspergillus oryzae which encodes L-ornithine N5-oxygenase involved in the biosynthesis of deferriferrichrysin, a type of siderophore which is a low-molecular-weight iron chelating compound. From among more than 20,000 clones in an A. oryzae EST (expressed sequence tag) library, we found only one clone encoding a protein that exhibited homology to theUstilago maydis sid1 protein (Sid1) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa pvdA protein (PvdA), both known as the only examples of L-ornithine N5-oxygenase.

Isolation of genes specifically expressed in the fruit body of the edible basidiomycete Lentinula edodes.

In order to isolate the genes expressed specifically and abundantly in the mature fruit body of Lentinula edodes, the cDNAs derived from the gill of the fruit body were compared with the cDNAs from the mycelia by differential screening. Consequently, six clones were identified as fruit-body-specific genes (fbg03, 08, 13, 14, 16, and 21). The deduced amino acid sequence of fbg14 (Le.

Construction of a homologous selectable marker gene for Lentinula edodes transformation.

We cloned a gene for the iron sulfur protein (Ip) subunit from an edible mushroom, Lentinula edodes, and introduced a point mutation that confers carboxin resistance into it. The mutant gene successfully transformed L. edodes with high efficiency (9 transformants/2.