Hi guys,
I am doing a metatranscriptome study on marine sponges. In previous researches, the fungal rRNA genes and other fungal biogeochemical gene transcripts were detected by PCR and Geochip. However, the fungal hyphae/mycelium could not be seen under TEM,which was kinda conflict with the molecular investigations. So I am suspecting the genes related to hyphae development are not active in sponges. But I don't know much about fungal genetics.
Can somebody tell me what are the genes related to hyphae development and fungal body-plan? Any input is welcome.
Kind. Fang
Dear Fang, I'm not a guy, but I can answer you. As mycelium is a general character of fungal body architecture, there are many genes involved to hyphal development at various stages of life cycle. It include: genes, responsible to cytoskeleton dynamics, genes dealt with cell wall synthesis and lysis, genes which code various receptors, genes involved in organelle movement (proteins for organelle attachment to cytoskeletal elements), genes involved in different types of membrane synthesis and autolysis and many, many others. And all of them related to hyphae development and necessary for it. They may work or be silent in some cases. And there are many types of hyphae in which various genes may be responsible for body plan organization... You see, the problem is very complex. Your question is equal to follows: could you ask - what genes are related to human development and human body-plan? The answer is: Most of them.
And you may examine works dealt with, say Neurospora crassa or Podospora anserina as a model organisms.
The paper, linked below may be interesting for you and make you understand of the complexity of ghe problem.
http://www.academia.edu/2334667/Sex-specific_gene_expression_during_asexual_development_of_Neurospora_crassa
Well, there are many models. The ascomycete species I mentioned are well studied organisms incluging their genetics physiology, morphogenesis and cytology. Think, it's also a tradition in some degree. They grow quickly and don't demand scecial conditions for growth. They have relatively large cells which faciliate physiological, cytological, cytochemical and other related studies. They are holomorphic species to allow life cycle investigations. They have completely sequenced genomes Among mycelial fungi (belonging to distinct groups) I can also note Coprinus cinereus/bilanatus, Pleurotus ostreatus, fungi of Mucorales order, Aspergillus or Penicillium species and so on.
http://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.1003669
As in all development there are spatial and temporal control of gene expression. Using Neurospora crassa as a model organism, the pattern of expression along a growing tip is different then the older more internal part of a hyphae. There are also noticeable changes in protein translocation from the ER to the Golgi and in the mechanisms involved in cellulase secretion. N. crassa and other filamentous fungi are amicable to forward and reverse genetic approaches to understand gene expression and function. The problem is that over 35% of the known genes in Neurospora crassa are hypothetical proteins with no known pfam domains and may be species specific. This is very common among filamentous fungi in general.
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