Identification of PaPKS1, a polyketide synthase involved in melanin formation and its use as a genetic tool in  Podospora anserina

• Published in: Mycological research Vol. 111; no. 8; pp. 901 - 908
• Main Authors: Coppin, Evelyne, Silar, Philippe
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2007; Elsevier
• Subjects: Biochemistry, Molecular Biology; carbon-carbon lyases; Cloning, Molecular - methods; Crosses, Genetic; Fungal Proteins - chemistry; Fungal Proteins - genetics; Fungal Proteins - metabolism; genetic variation; Life Sciences; Melanin; Melanins - metabolism; Podospora - enzymology; Podospora - genetics; Podospora anserina; Point Mutation; Polyketide synthase; Polyketide Synthases - chemistry; Polyketide Synthases - genetics; Polyketide Synthases - metabolism; polyketides; Polymerase Chain Reaction; RIP; Polyketide synthase; RIP; Podospora anserina; Melanin
• ISSN: 0953-7562; 1469-8102
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mycres.2007.05.011

In the filamentous fungus Podospora anserina, many pigmentation mutations map to the median region of the complex locus ‘14’, called segment ‘29’. The data presented in this paper show that segment 29 corresponds to a gene encoding a polyketide synthase, designated PaPKS1, and identifies two mutations that completely or partially abolish the activity of the PaPKS1 polypeptide. We present evidence that the P. anserina green pigment is a (DHN)-melanin. Using the powerful genetic system of PaPKS1 cloning, we demonstrate that in P. anserina trans-duplicated sequences are subject to the RIP process as previously demonstrated for the cis-duplicated regions.