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Eukaryotic Cell, July 2008, p. 1211-1221, Vol. 7, No. 7
1535-9778/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/EC.00272-07
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Expression and Function of Sex Pheromones and Receptors in the Homothallic Ascomycete Gibberella zeae{triangledown}

Jungkwan Lee,1 John F. Leslie,1 and Robert L. Bowden2*

Department of Plant Pathology, Throckmorton Plant Sciences Center, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506-5502,1 USDA-ARS Plant Science and Entomology Research Unit, Throckmorton Plant Sciences Center, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506-55022

Received 27 July 2007/ Accepted 14 May 2008

In heterothallic ascomycete fungi, idiomorphic alleles at the MAT locus control two sex pheromone-receptor pairs that function in the recognition and chemoattraction of strains with opposite mating types. In the ascomycete Gibberella zeae, the MAT locus is rearranged such that both alleles are adjacent on the same chromosome. Strains of G. zeae are self-fertile but can outcross facultatively. Our objective was to determine if pheromones retain a role in sexual reproduction in this homothallic fungus. Putative pheromone precursor genes (ppg1 and ppg2) and their corresponding pheromone receptor genes (pre2 and pre1) were identified in the genomic sequence of G. zeae by sequence similarity and microsynteny with other ascomycetes. ppg1, a homolog of the Saccharomyces {alpha}-factor pheromone precursor gene, was expressed in germinating conidia and mature ascospores. Expression of ppg2, a homolog of the a-factor pheromone precursor gene, was not detected in any cells. pre2 was expressed in all cells, but pre1 was expressed weakly and only in mature ascospores. ppg1 or pre2 deletion mutations reduced fertility in self-fertilization tests by approximately 50%. {Delta}ppg1 reduced male fertility and {Delta}pre2 reduced female fertility in outcrossing tests. In contrast, {Delta}ppg2 and {Delta}pre1 had no discernible effects on sexual function. {Delta}ppg1/{Delta}ppg2 and {Delta}pre1/{Delta}pre2 double mutants had the same phenotype as the {Delta}ppg1 and {Delta}pre2 single mutants. Thus, one of the putative pheromone-receptor pairs (ppg1/pre2) enhances, but is not essential for, selfing and outcrossing in G. zeae whereas no functional role was found for the other pair (ppg2/pre1).

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: USDA-ARS Plant Science and Entomology Research Unit, 4024 Throckmorton Plant Sciences Center, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506-5502. Phone: (785) 532-2368. Fax: (785) 532-6167. E-mail: robert.bowden{at}ars.usda.gov

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 23 May 2008.

Eukaryotic Cell, July 2008, p. 1211-1221, Vol. 7, No. 7
1535-9778/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/EC.00272-07
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.





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