Mycobiology.  2015 Mar;43(1):31-36. 10.5941/MYCO.2015.43.1.31.

Depletion of epsilon-COP in the COPI Vesicular Coat Reduces Cleistothecium Production in Aspergillus nidulans

• Kang EH
• Song EJ
• Kook JH
• Lee HH
• Jeong BR
• Park HM

• KMID: 2312790
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5941/MYCO.2015.43.1.31

Abstract

We have previously isolated epsilon-COP, the alpha-COP interactor in COPI of Aspergillus nidulans, by yeast two-hybrid screening. To understand the function of epsilon-COP, the aneA+ gene for epsilon-COP/AneA was deleted by homologous recombination using a gene-specific disruption cassette. Deletion of the epsilon-COP gene showed no detectable changes in vegetative growth or asexual development, but resulted in decrease in the production of the fruiting body, cleistothecium, under conditions favorable for sexual development. Unlike in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, in A. nidulans, over-expression of epsilon-COP did not rescue the thermo-sensitive growth defect of the alpha-COP mutant at 42degrees C. Together, these data show that epsilon-COP is not essential for viability, but it plays a role in fruiting body formation in A. nidulans.

Keyword

alpha-COP; Aspergillus nidulans; Cleistothecium; epsilon-COP; Sexual development

MeSH Terms

Aspergillus nidulans*
Coatomer Protein*
Fruit
Homologous Recombination
Mass Screening
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Saccharomycetales
Sexual Development
Yeasts
Coatomer Protein