Neurospora

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Neurospora
Neurospora crassa
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Sordariomycetes
Order: Sordariales
Family: Sordariaceae
Genus: Neurospora
B.O.Dodge
(1927)
Type species
Neurospora sitophila
Shear & B.O.Dodge (1927)
Synonyms[1]
  • Gelasinospora Dowding (1933)
  • Anixiella Saito & Minoura (1948)
  • Anixiella Saito & Minoura ex Cain (1961)
  • Chrysonilia Arx (1981)
Oncom, made using Neurospora intermedia var. oncomensis

Neurospora is a

fungi. The genus name, meaning "nerve spore" refers to the characteristic striations on the spores that resemble axons
.

The best known species in this genus is Neurospora crassa, a common model organism in biology. Neurospora intermedia var. oncomensis is believed to be the only mold belonging to Neurospora which is used in food production (to make oncom).[2]

Characteristics

Neurospora species are

Anamorphs are known in only a relatively small number of species, which belong to the fungi imperfecti genus Chrysonilia. The type species of the genus is Neurospora sitophila Shear.[3]

Systematics

The former genus Gelasinospora is closely related and not resolved as a distinct monophyletic group,[4] thus the former genus is nowadays included as a synonym of Neurospora.[3]

Species

As model organisms

Neurospora is widely used in genetics as a

minimal media (inorganic salts, glucose, water and biotin in agar
).

The first studies of sexual reproduction in Neurospora were made by B. O. Dodge. Neurospora was later used by

one gene-one enzyme hypothesis, in which they postulated that every enzyme was encoded with its own gene
.

Research with Neurospora is reported semi-annually at the Neurospora Meeting at Asilomar, California, coordinated by the Fungal Genetics Stock Center. Mutant and wild-type strains of Neurospora are available from the FGSC. The FGSC also publishes the Fungal Genetics Reports.

Important people in Neurospora research:

Sexual reproduction

In the

homothallic species in which a single haploid individual carries both mating type loci and can undergo self-fertilization leading to meiosis and sexual reproduction. Neurospora africana is an example of such a species.[12][13] Additionally, some "Neurospora" species are said pseudohomothallic. They carry both mating types, but in separate nuclei in the same individual. Two haploid nuclei originating from the same meiosis are packaged into one ascospore.[14]
The individual is thus permanently heterokaryotic. Examples of this mating system include "Neurospora tetrasperma" and "Neurospora tetraspora". Because heterothallic species necessarily undergo some degree of outcrossing they may benefit from a higher efficiency of selection because of higher effective recombination rates. In contrast, pseudohomothallic and homothallic species do not outcross (or rarely) and do not experience these benefits: in homothallics a reduced efficiency of
DNA damages by homologous recombinational
repair, and the formation of stress-resistant ascospores.

References

  1. Species Fungorum
    . Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  2. doi:10.1016/S0740-0020(86)80035-1
    .
  3. ^
    S2CID 31673455
    .
  4. PMID 16378718
    .
  5. ^
    JSTOR 3753727
    .
  6. ^ Zimmer, E. M., August 1946, "MUTANT STRAINS OF NEUROSPORA DEFICIENT IN PARA-AMINOBENZOIC ACID", MA Thesis, Stanford University
  7. ^ Hollaender, A., Sansome E. R., Zimmer, E., Demerec, M., April 1945, "Quantitative Irradiation Experiments with Neurospora crassa. II. Ultraviolet Irradiation", American Journal of Botany 32(4):226-235 Also: "Quantitative effects of radiation on mutation production in Neurospora crassa", Records of the Genetics Society of America, Number Thirteen, 1944
  8. ^ a b Giles, N. H. Jr., Lederberg, E. Z., March 1948, "Induced reversions of biochemical mutants in Neurospora crassa", American Journal of Botany 35(3):150-157
  9. PMID 16588774
    .
  10. PMID 16589648
    .
  11. S2CID 4422762.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link
    )
  12. S2CID 19747733
    .
  13. S2CID 10818930
    .
  14. PMID 8187347.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link
    )
  15. PMID 21439389.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link
    )

External links
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Neurospora&oldid=1217099479"