Identification of a target gene for the bE–bW homeodomain protein complex in Ustilago maydis

Romeis, Tina; Brachmann, Andreas ; Kahmann, Regine und Kämper, Jörg (Juli 2000): Identification of a target gene for the bE–bW homeodomain protein complex in Ustilago maydis. In: Molecular Microbiology, Bd. 37, Nr. 1: S. 54-66

Abstract

In the phytopathogenic fungus Ustilago maydis, sexual and pathogenic development are controlled by the multiallelic b mating type locus. The b locus encodes a pair of unrelated homeodomain proteins termed bE and bW that form a heterodimeric complex when both proteins originate from different alleles. The heterodimer is presumed to be the central regulator for pathogenicity genes. Here, we show that a translational fusion protein comprising specific domains of bE1 and bW2 remains biologically active and binds to a sequence motif in the promoter of lga2, a gene located in the a mating type locus. This b binding sequence 1 (bbs1) is also recognized by the native bE1–bW2 heterodimer in vivo and mediates the b-dependent regulation of the lga2 gene. Our data demonstrate that the bE–bW heterodimer can act as a positive transcriptional regulator.

• Dokumententyp: Zeitschriftenartikel
• Publikationsform: Publisher's Version
• Fakultät: Biologie > Department Biologie I
• Themengebiete: 500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik > 570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie
• Sprache: Englisch