Skip to main content
ARS Home » Midwest Area » Peoria, Illinois » National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research » Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #305539
Title: Searching for a Spore killer: A meiotic drive element in Neurospora fungi

Author
item HARVEY, AUSTIN - Illinois State University
item REHARD, DAVID - Illinois State University
item SHARP, KEVIN - Illinois State University
item KUNTZ, DANIELLE - Illinois State University
item WILSON, RICHARD - University Of Nebraska
item Brown, Daren
item SHIU, PATRICK K. - Illinois State University
item HAMMOND, THOMAS - Illinois State University

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/13/2014
Publication Date: 6/13/2014
Citation: Harvey, A.M., Rehard, D.G., Sharp, K.J., Kuntz, D.R., Wilson, R.A., Brown, D.W., Shiu, P.T., Hammond, T.M. 2014. Searching for a Spore killer: A meiotic drive element in Neurospora fungi. Meeting Abstract.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Mendelian inheritance predicts that different alleles of the same gene will have an equal chance of being transmitted to the next generation. However, meiotic drive is a phenomenon where certain alleles evolve the ability to bias transmission in their own favor. In this study we are investigating a meiotic drive element called Spore killer discovered in Neurospora fungi over three decades ago. Spore killer in Neurospora is thought to work via a ‘killer and resistance’ model. This model predicts that there are two tightly linked loci, one for killing and one for resistance. We have recently reported the identification and characterization of the resistance locus. In this work, we have used molecular genetic techniques to identify the killer locus. Knowledge gained from studies of spore killing in Neurospora may help in efforts to develop a Spore killer-based control method for plant-pathogenic fungi.