Title: | "Evidence for gene duplication and allelic codominance (not hierarchical dominance) at the mating-type locus of the ciliate, Euplotes crassus" |
Author(s): | Vallesi A; Alimenti C; Federici S; Di Giuseppe G; Dini F; Guella G; Luporini P; |
Address: | "Laboratory of Eukaryotic Microbiology and Animal Biology, University of Camerino, 62032, Camerino, MC, Italy" |
ISSN/ISBN: | 1550-7408 (Electronic) 1066-5234 (Linking) |
Abstract: | "The high-multiple mating system of Euplotes crassus is known to be controlled by multiple alleles segregating at a single locus and manifesting relationships of hierarchical dominance, so that heterozygous cells would produce a single mating-type substance (pheromone). In strain L-2D, now known to be homozygous at the mating-type locus, we previously identified two pheromones (Ec-alpha and Ec-1) characterized by significant variations in their amino acid sequences and structure of their macronuclear coding genes. In this study, pheromones and macronuclear coding genes have been analyzed in strain POR-73 characterized by a heterozygous genotype and strong mating compatibility with L-2D strain. It was found that POR-73 cells contain three distinct pheromone coding genes and, accordingly, secrete three distinct pheromones. One pheromone revealed structural identity in amino acid sequence and macronuclear coding gene to the Ec-alpha pheromone of L-2D cells. The other two pheromones were shown to be new and were designated Ec-2 and Ec-3 to denote their structural homology with the Ec-1 pheromone of L-2D cells. We interpreted these results as evidence of a phenomenon of gene duplication at the E. crassus mating-type locus, and lack of hierarchical dominance in the expression of the macronuclear pheromone genes in cells with heterozygous genotypes" |
Keywords: | Alleles Amino Acid Sequence Ciliophora/*genetics *Gene Duplication Molecular Sequence Data Pheromones/*genetics Reproduction Cell chemical signals ciliate mating types conjugation macronuclear gene-size DNA molecules protein pheromones; |
Notes: | "MedlineVallesi, Adriana Alimenti, Claudio Federici, Sergio Di Giuseppe, Graziano Dini, Fernando Guella, Graziano Luporini, Pierangelo eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2014/07/22 J Eukaryot Microbiol. 2014 Nov-Dec; 61(6):620-9. doi: 10.1111/jeu.12140. Epub 2014 Aug 4" |