Sequence analysis of the EF-lα gene family ofMucor racemosus

Abstract

Our previous studies have shown that Mucor racemosus possesses three genes (TEF-1, -2 and -3) for EF-1 alpha, and that all three genes are transcribed. However, the level of transcription varies markedly between the three genes, with TEF-1 mRNA levels being approximately two fold higher than TEF-3 and 6 fold higher than TEF-2. We have now completed the DNA sequence of both strands of all three genes and have found that these genes are highly homologous. TEF-2 and TEF-3 are more similar to each other than they are to TEF-1. The TEF-2 and the TEF-3 coding regions differ from TEF-1 at 30 and 37 positions respectively out of 1374 nucleotides. Twenty-six of these nucleotide substitutions were common to both TEF-2 and TEF-3, and the majority of the substitutions were clustered in the 5' region of the coding sequences. While the majority of these changes were silent, TEF-2 and TEF-3 differed from TEF-1 by having a lysine instead of a glutamate at amino acid position 41. In addition, TEF-2 and -3, but not TEF-1, each have an intron located near the 5' end of the coding region, although its size and sequence is not conserved between the two genes. All three genes have a conserved intron near the 3' end of the coding region. The sequence data have been analyzed with respect to the structure and function of EF-1 alpha in protein biosynthesis.

Molecular systematics in the genus Mucor with special regards to species encountered in cheese

“…These loci were therefore not selected although they have been previously used for constructing phylogenies of Zygomycota (O'Donnell et al 2001;Voigt & W€ ostemeyer 2001;Tanabe et al 2004). The occurrence of multiple amplicons in several isolates suggests the presence of paralogous genes as previously described for TEF1-a in Mucor racemosus (Linz & Sypherd 1987;Sundstrom et al 1987) or in Isomucor trufemiae (de Souza et al 2012). However, this was not commonly found in Mucor spp.…”

Selection of reference genes for quantitative real time RT-PCR during dimorphism in the zygomycete Mucor circinelloides

“…1). It has been described in Mucor racemosus that mRNA levels of elongation factor tef-3 change during development, which could have an effect on the recognition of different transfer RNA (tRNA) and could promote the synthesis of certain proteins [25]. Additionally, we noted that the expression levels of the 18S rRNA gene are different in mycelium and yeast cells (Fig.…”

Cloning and Molecular Characterization ofCnTEF1Which Encodes Translation Elongation Factor 1α inCryptococcus neoformans

“…Subsequent hybridization analysis to verify the source of the CnTEF1 gene was also consistent with a single copy of CnTEF1 (data not shown). In contrast, multiple genes encoding EF-1␣ have been found in other fungi (S. cerevisiae (Schirmaier and Philippsen, 1984); M. racemosus (Sundströ m et al, 1987), C. albicans (Sundströ m et al, 1990)). …”