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The Opposed Effect of 5‐Azacytidine and Light on the Development of Reproductive Structures in Neurospora crassa ¶
Author(s) -
Kritsky Mikhail S.,
Russo Vincenzo E. A.,
Filippovich Svetlana Yu.,
Afanasieva Tatiana P.,
Bachurina Galina P.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
photochemistry and photobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.818
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1751-1097
pISSN - 0031-8655
DOI - 10.1562/0031-8655(2002)0750079toeoaa2.0.co2
Subject(s) - neurospora crassa , crassa , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , chemistry , genetics , gene , mutant
Blue light inhibits the formation of asexual cycle spores (conidia) and stimulates the development of the sexual (female) reproductive structures (protoperithecia) in the nitrogen‐starved mycelium of Neurospora crassa . The DNA methylation inhibitor, 5‐azacytidine (3–300 μ M ), opposed the effect of light by suppressing the protoperithecia formation and stimulating a conidiation. The addition of 300 μ M 5‐azacytidine inhibited protoperithecia formation in the dark‐cultivated mycelium by about two orders of magnitude and activated conidiation in the light‐exposed mycelium by almost three orders of magnitude. Both in the dark‐cultivated and the irradiated mycelium treated with various 5‐azacytidine concentrations, the yield of conidia and protoperithecia demonstrated an inverse relationship. We suggest that DNA methylation and blue light are involved in the organism's selection of sexual or asexual reproductive cycle.