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Title: THE RNA POLYMERASE II GENE ENCODING THE SECOND LARGEST PEPTIDE SUBUNIT (RPB2) IN PHAEOSPHAERIA NODORUM

Author
item MALKUS, ARKADIUSZ - RADZIKOW POLAND
item CHANG, PI-FANG LINDA - TAICHUNG TAIWAN
item ZUZGA, SABINA - WARSAW POLAND
item CHUNG, KWANG-REN - UNIV OF FL LAKE ALFRED FL
item Shao, Jonathan
item ARSENIUK, EDWARD - RADZIKOW POLAND
item Ueng, Peter

Submitted to: Federation of European Microbiological Societies Microbiology Letters
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/28/2006
Publication Date: 10/3/2006
Citation: Malkus, A., Chang, P., Zuzga, S.M., Chung, K., Shao, J.Y., Arseniuk, E., Ueng, P.P. 2006. The rna polymerase ii gene encoding the second largest peptide subunit (rpb2) in phaeosphaeria nodorum. Federation of European Microbiological Societies Microbiology Letters. 110:1152-1154.

Interpretive Summary: Septoria disease is responsible for important economic losses in the production of cereal crops. The disease is caused by a complex of several different species of fungus that are difficult to distinguish from one another, hindering efforts to devise measures for fungus-specific disease management. From the Septoria disease fungi, we isolated and characterized a gene that is involved in the synthesis of RNA molecules that carry the genetic code from DNA to the apparatus that makes proteins. Results from this study showed that this gene, and the protein (DNA-dependent RNA polymerase II) that it codes for, provide useful molecular markers to aid detection and differentiation of the Septoria disease fungi. The findings will be of interest to scientists and diagnostics laboratories.

Technical Abstract: A 5586-bp sequence (accession No. DQ278491) which contains the DNA-dependent RNA polymerase II gene (RPB2) encoding the second largest protein subunit (Rpb2) was obtained from the wheat-biotype Phaeosphaeria nodorum by PCR amplification. The RPB2 gene structure and its associated signals were analyzed. Three protein factor specific binding sites required for regulation of the RPB2 gene transcription (CArG, ATF and GRFI), the TATA signal, and the transcription start site (TSS) were found in the promoter region, and the Poly-A tailing in the downstream flanking region. Two exons and one intron were experimentally determined by cDNA sequencing. The 3789-bp nucleotide sequence of the RPB2 gene encodes a 1262-amino acid (aa) protein. Based on the phylogenetic analysis with the deduced Rpb2 peptide sequences, the wheat biotype P. nodorum was closely related to maize pathogen Cochliobolus heterostrophus and other fungi in the Order Dothideales.