Document Type

Senior Thesis

Publication Date

Spring 2025

Committee Chair

Thomas Hammond

Committee Member

Jan Dahl

Abstract

Neurospora fungi are found around the world. The species N. crassa is a popular model for use in genetics research. N. crassa produces sexual spores, called ascospores, during mating between strains of opposite mating types. N. crassa also produces spore sacs called asci, and each ascus typically contains eight viable ascospores. However, some Neurospora fungi carry selfish genetic elements called Spore killers, and when a strain carrying a Spore killer mates with a spore killing-susceptible strain, asci contain four black viable ascospores and four white inviable ascospores. In this project, I investigated a Spore killer called Sk-3. To act as a selfish genetic element, Sk-3 is thought to require at least two genes, a poison gene and an antidote gene. The Sk-3 antidote gene (rsk) has been identified, but the poison gene has not. The purpose of this study is to help identify the location of the poison gene. To do this, I deleted two DNA intervals (i383 and i394) from a location of the Neurospora genome that may harbor the poison gene. My results indicate that deletion of i383 eliminates spore killing while deletion of i394 has no effect on spore killing. The possibility that i394 overlaps with the poison gene is discussed.

Funding Source

This work was supported by the National Science Foundation (Award Number 200595, Elucidating the mechanism of meiotic drive by mRNA editing-mediated spore killing in Neurospora fungi).

Download

Share

COinS