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Light reception and circadian behavior in ‘blind’ and ‘clock‐less’ mutants of Neurospora crassa
Author(s) -
Dragovic Zdravko,
Tan Ying,
Görl Margit,
Roenneberg Till,
Merrow Martha
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
the embo journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 7.484
H-Index - 392
eISSN - 1460-2075
pISSN - 0261-4189
DOI - 10.1093/emboj/cdf377
Subject(s) - neurospora crassa , biology , conidiation , circadian rhythm , neurospora , mutant , circadian clock , crassa , genetics , conidium , white (mutation) , microbiology and biotechnology , filamentous fungus , botany , gene , neuroscience
The filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa is a model organism for the genetic dissection of blue light photoreception and circadian rhythms. WHITE COLLAR‐1 (WC‐1) and WC‐2 are considered necessary for all light responses, while FREQUENCY (FRQ) is required for light‐regulated asexual development (conidia formation); without any of the three, self‐sustained (circadian) rhythmicity in constant conditions fails. Here we show that light‐regulated and self‐sustained development occur in the individual or mutant white collar strains. These strains resemble wild type in their organization of the daily bout of light‐regulated conidiation. Molecular profiles of light‐ induced genes indicate that the individual white collar‐1 and white collar‐2 mutants utilize distinct pathways, despite their similar appearance in all aspects. Titration of fluence rate also demonstrates different light sensitivities between the two strains. The data require the existence of an as‐yet‐unidentified photoreceptor. Furthermore, the extant circadian clock machinery in these mutant strains supports the notion that the circadian system in Neurospora involves components outside the WC–FRQ loop.