Identification and analysis of genes involved in the control of dimorphism in Mucor circinelloides (syn. racemosus).

Mucor circinelloides (syn. racemosus) is a non-pathogenic dimorphic fungus belonging to the class of zygomycetes. We are developing a novel system for heterologous protein production exploiting the dimorphic growth characteristics of M. circinelloides. In order to identify potential genetic regulators of morphology we have initiated a characterisation of key genes involved in signal transduction in Mucor. We have cloned and characterised pkaR and pkaC encoding the regulatory subunit (PKAR) and the catalytic subunit (PKAC), respectively, of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) of M. circinelloides. In anaerobically grown yeast cells, the levels of expression of both pkaR and pkaC were significantly higher than the levels of expression in aerobically grown mycelium. However, during the dimorphic shift, i.e. during the transition from anaerobic yeast growth to aerobic filamentous growth, the expression of pkaR was found to increase approximately two-fold. These results indicate that regulation of PKA activity is conferred at different levels according to growth and environmental conditions. Overexpression of pkaR resulted in a multi-branched colony phenotype on solid medium indicating that PKAR plays a role in filamentation and branching. Fragments of genes encoding factors of the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase (MAPK) pathway have also been cloned: mpk1 (mitogen-activated protein kinase 1) encoding a MAPK homologue and ste12 encoding a transcription factor.