Identification and Characterization of Genes Required for Cell-to-Cell Fusion in Neurospora crassa

A screening procedure was used to identify cell fusion (hyphal anastomosis) mutants in the Neurospora crassa single gene deletion library. Mutants with alterations in 24 cell fusion genes required for cell fusion between conidial anastomosis tubes (CATs) were identified and characterized. The cell fusion genes identified included 14 genes that are likely to function in signal transduction pathways needed for cell fusion to occur (mik-1, mek-1, mak-1, nrc-1, mek-2, mak-2, rac-1, pp2A, so/ham-1, ham-2, ham-3, ham-5, ham-9, and mob3). The screening experiments also identified four transcription factors that are required for cell fusion (adv-1, ada-3, rco-1, and snf5). Three genes encoding proteins likely to be involved in the process of vesicular trafficking were also identified as needed for cell fusion during the screening (amph-1, ham-10, pkr1). Three of the genes identified by the screening procedure, ham-6, ham-7, and ham-8, encode proteins that might function in mediating the plasma membrane fusion event. Three of the putative signal transduction proteins, three of the transcription factors, the three putative vesicular trafficking proteins, and the three proteins that might function in mediating cell fusion had not been identified previously as required for cell fusion.