Genetics and Genomics Commons^™

Predicting The Identities Of Su(Met-2) And Met-3 In Neurospora Crassa By Genome Resequencing, Kevin Mccluskey, Daren Brown, Erin Bredeweg, Scott E. Baker

Fungal Genetics Reports

A significant number of classical genetic Neurospora crassa biochemical mutants remain anonymous, unassociated with a physical genome locus. By utilizing short read next-generation sequencing methods, it is possible to sequence the genomes of mutant strains rapidly and economically for the purpose of identifying genes associated with mutant phenotypes. We have taken this approach to connect genes and mutations to “methionineless” phenotypes in N. crassa.

A Protocol For Genetic Analysis At Different Stages Of The Nuclear Division Cycle In Neurospora Crassa, Kotaro Tsukada, Shin Hatakeyama, Shuuitsu Tanaka

Fungal Genetics Reports

The filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa is an organism that contains multiple nuclei in the asexual conidia and hyphae. Since the nuclei of dormant conidia are arrested at various points in the nuclear division cycle, it has been difficult to analyze drug sensitivity at the specific point of the cycle in N. crassa. In this study, we have established a useful method for analysis at different stages of the nuclear division cycle in N. crassa. This assay will be a reference for researchers to use the synchronized culture in other diverse analyses.

Transposon- And Genome Dynamics In The Fungal Genus Neurospora: Insights From Nearly Gapless Genome Assemblies, Diem Nguyen, Valentina Peona, Per Unneberg, Alexander Suh, Patric Jern, Hanna Johannesson

Fungal Genetics Reports

A large portion of nuclear DNA is composed of transposable element (TE) sequences, whose transposition is controlled by diverse host defense strategies in order to maintain genomic integrity. One such strategy is the fungal-specific Repeat-Induced Point mutation (RIP) that hyper-mutates repetitive DNA sequences. While RIP is found across Fungi, it has been shown to vary in efficiency. The filamentous ascomycete Neurospora crassa has been a pioneer in the study of RIP, but data on TEs and RIP from other species in the genus is limited. In this study, we investigated 18 nearly gapless genome assemblies of ten Neurospora species, which …

On Computing Relative Effective Population Size Estimates And Parameters From An Equilibrium Cycle Of Hermaphrodite Frequency Fluctuation Due To Mixed Reproductive Modes In Filamentous Fungi, Christopher Toomajian

Fungal Genetics Reports

Many filamentous ascomycete fungi reproduce primarily asexually, with only occasional sexual generations. This can lead to a departure from the 1:1 mating type ratio that is expected in obligate sexual populations. The relaxed selection on sexual traits also can lead to a decrease in the frequency of female fertile strains in field populations, while male fertility does not similarly decrease since male gametes also can serve as asexual spores. Both changes ultimately impact the strength of genetic drift in populations. The frequency of female sterility likely increases with the time since the last generation of sexual reproduction, such that it …

A Nonhomologous End-Joining Mutant For Neurospora Sitophila Research, Nicholas A. Rhoades, Elise K. Webber, Thomas M. Hammond

Fungal Genetics Reports

Disruption of the nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) pathway has been shown to increase the efficiency of transgene integration into targeted genomic locations of Neurospora crassa and other fungi. Here, we report that a similar phenomenon occurs in a second Neurospora species: N. sitophila. Specifically, we show that deletion of N. sitophila mus-51 increases the efficiency of targeted-transgene integration, presumably by disrupting NHEJ. Researchers interested in obtaining the N. sitophila mus-51^∆ strains described in this study can obtain them from the Fungal Genetics Stock Center (FGSC, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS).

Excellence By Simplicity: Life And Contributions Of Professor Ramesh Maheshwari (1940-2019), Keyur Adhvaryu

Fungal Genetics Reports

Professor Ramesh Maheshwari passed in Bangalore on 30 March 2019. His work generated fundamental understanding in diverse areas of fungal biology including the germination and infection of plants by rust fungi, the life-cycle of Neurospora in its natural habitat; fungal senescence and heterokaryosis, and the production of microconidia in fungi. He was a member of many professional societies including the American Society of Plant Physiologists, Society of Microbiologists of India, and the Indian Phytopathological Society, and he served on the Editorial Board for Journal of Genetics. He nurtured scientific curiosity in his students and colleagues.

A Screen For Genetic Modifiers Of Protein Phosphatase 1 Function In Drosophila Collective Cell Cohesion And Migration, Carmen F. Del Real, Yujun Chen, Marissa Komp, Jocelyn A. Mcdonald

Kansas State University Undergraduate Research Conference

Cells can migrate collectively in tightly or loosely-associated groups during tissue and organ formation, during embryonic development, in tumor metastases, and in wound healing. Drosophilaborder cellsserve as an excellent genetic model of collective cell migration inside a developing tissue. During ovarian development, 6-8 cells form the border cell cluster and migrate together as a cohesive group to reach the large oocyte. Previous experiments have shown that Nuclear inhibitor of Protein Serine Threonine Phosphatase 1 (NiPP1) causes border cells to separate into single cells, rather than stay in a group, and limits their ability to migrate. NiPP1 inhibits the …

Principles Of Biology, Robert Bear, David Rintoul, Bruce Snyder, Martha Smith-Caldas, Christopher Herren, Eva Horne

Open Access Textbooks

This textbook is designed specifically for Kansas State's Biology 198 Class. The course is taught using the studio approach and based on active learning. The studio manual contains all of the learning objectives for each class period and is the record of all student activities. Hence, this textbook is more of a reference tool while the studio manual is the learning tool.

The textbook was originally published and is also available to download at http://cnx.org/contents/db89c8f8-a27c-4685-ad2a-19d11a2a7e2e@24.1.It is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 license.

Differential Methylation Methods In Multi-Context Organisms, Douglas Baumann, Yuqing Su, Iranga Mendis, Gayla R. Olbricht

Conference on Applied Statistics in Agriculture

DNA methylation is an epigenetic modification that has the ability to alter gene expression without any change in the DNA sequence. DNA methylation occurs when a methyl chemical group attaches to cytosine bases on the DNA sequence. In mammals, DNA methylation primarily occurs at CG sites, when a cytosine is followed by a guanine in the DNA sequence. In plants, DNA methylation can also occur in other cytosine sequences, such as when a cytosine is not followed directly by a guanine. Many of the statistical methods that have been developed to estimate methylation levels and test differential methylation in whole-genome …