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Eukaryot Cell

Title:		Mating-type locus of Cryptococcus neoformans: a step in the evolution of sex chromosomes
Author(s):		Lengeler KB; Fox DS; Fraser JA; Allen A; Forrester K; Dietrich FS; Heitman J;
Address:		"Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA"
Journal Title:		Eukaryot Cell
Year:		2002
Volume:		1
Issue:		5
Page Number:		704 - 718
DOI:		10.1128/EC.1.5.704-718.2002
ISSN/ISBN:		1535-9778 (Print) 1535-9786 (Electronic) 1535-9786 (Linking)
Abstract:		"The sexual development and virulence of the fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans is controlled by a bipolar mating system determined by a single locus that exists in two alleles, alpha and a. The alpha and a mating-type alleles from two divergent varieties were cloned and sequenced. The C. neoformans mating-type locus is unique, spans >100 kb, and contains more than 20 genes. MAT-encoded products include homologs of regulators of sexual development in other fungi, pheromone and pheromone receptors, divergent components of a MAP kinase cascade, and other proteins with no obvious function in mating. The alpha and a alleles of the mating-type locus have extensively rearranged during evolution and strain divergence but are stable during genetic crosses and in the population. The C. neoformans mating-type locus is strikingly different from the other known fungal mating-type loci, sharing features with the self-incompatibility systems and sex chromosomes of algae, plants, and animals. Our study establishes a new paradigm for mating-type loci in fungi with implications for the evolution of cell identity and self/nonself recognition"
Keywords:		"Alleles Chromosome Mapping Chromosomes, Artificial, Bacterial Chromosomes, Fungal/*genetics Cloning, Molecular Cryptococcus neoformans/*genetics/physiology *Evolution, Molecular Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal Gene Library Genes, Fungal/*genetics *Gene;"
Notes:		"MedlineLengeler, Klaus B Fox, Deborah S Fraser, James A Allen, Andria Forrester, Keri Dietrich, Fred S Heitman, Joseph eng P01 AI044975/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/ R01 AI050113/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/ P01 AI44975/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/ R01 AI50113/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/ Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S. 2002/11/29 Eukaryot Cell. 2002 Oct; 1(5):704-18. doi: 10.1128/EC.1.5.704-718.2002"