Inducible responses to DNA damaging or stress inducing agents in Neurospora crassa.

Two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis has been used to analyze proteins from wild type and mutagen sensitive mutants of Neurospora crassa under constitutive conditions and after treatment with mutagens and other stress inducing agents. Several proteins have been detected that are either induced or show changes in electrophoretic mobility in response to UV irradiation, 4-NQO, X-ray, paraquat and heat shock. Ten proteins were found to respond to more than one of the stress inducing agents, demonstrating a complex pattern of polypeptide inductions. The significance of these findings and the possible effects of some of these proteins on the DNA repair process and stress management are discussed.