Dissertations and Theses @ UNI
Availability
Open Access Thesis
Keywords
Genes--Identification; Ascospores; Aspergillus; Genes; Field guides;
Abstract
This study is one of the first molecular characterizations of a gene whose expression is exclusive to ascospores of Aspergillus nidulans. A 900 base pair (bp) fragment of this gene was cloned into a modified pUC19 plasmid and used to transform uridine auxotrophs of A. nidulans. Previous studies showed that A. nidulans is amenable to DNA mediated transformation by site-specific recombination (Fincham , 1989). Transformants were severely deficient in the production of ascospores, with decreases in viable ascospores per cleistothecia of 80-99.75%. Southern blotting experiments confirmed that integrative homologous transformation occurred in all cases, and that a tandem insertion is likely in the most severely defective transformant. The observed decrease in the production of viable ascospores was also correlated to a lack of the 77 kD protein product of the asp77 gene in the transformants. Approximately 90% of the 900 bp fragment was sequenced, but despite the presence of a number of consensus sequences, a consistent reading frame was not discovered. PCR experiments showed that the gene was present in one copy on the genome of Aspergillus nidulans. The discovery of a gene whose expression product is specific to ascospores provides an opportunity to use the asp 77 product to: 1) mark for the onset of sexual differentiation, and 2) investigate the genetic regulation of ascosporogenesis.
Year of Submission
1998
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Department of Biology
First Advisor
James E. Jurgenson
Second Advisor
Darrell Wiens
Third Advisor
Alan Orr
Date Original
1998
Object Description
1 PDF file (95 leaves)
Copyright
©1998 Chad Edward Galer
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Galer, Chad Edward, "Genetic Characterization of the Gene Coding for a 77 kD Ascospore-Specific Protein in Aspergillus nidulans" (1998). Dissertations and Theses @ UNI. 2726.
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/etd/2726
Comments
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