Transcriptional Regulation by the Velvet Protein VE-1 during Asexual Development in the Fungus Neurospora crassa
Sara Cea-Sánchez, María Corrochano-Luque, Gabriel Gutiérrez, N. Louise Glass, David Cánovas, Luis M. Corrochano
Abstract
Most fungi disperse in nature and infect new hosts by producing vegetative spores or conidia during asexual development. This is a process that is regulated by environmental signals like light and the availability of nutrients. A protein complex, the velvet complex, participates in the integration of environmental signals to regulate conidiation. We have found that a key component of this complex in the fungus Neurospora crassa, VE-1, has a major role in the regulation of transcription during conidiation. VE-1 regulates a large number of genes, including the genes for the transcription factors FL and VIB-1. Our results will help to understand how environmental signals are integrated in the fungal cell to regulate development.