Cloning and differential expression during the sexual cycle of a meiotic endonuclease-encoding gene from the basidiomycete Coprinus cinereus

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The naturally synchronous meiosis of the fungus, Coprinus cinereus provides an ideal system for the investigation of differential gene expression in relation to meiosis and fruiting body development. We have cloned a cDNA from the fruiting body of C. cinereus encoding the 12-kDa subunit of a meiotic endonuclease (mENase). The identification of the 12-kDa subunit cDNA clone was achieved by the mENase antiserum against a τ17 cDNA expression library. It was confirmed by a direct match of the amino acid (aa) sequence obtained from purified 12-kDa polypeptide with the nucleotide sequence. Northern blot analysis using the cDNA clone as a probe showed that the mENase-encoding gene ( MenA) for the 12-kDa subunit was expressed mainly in fruiting bodies and at a very low level in the asexual vegetative mycelium. In addition, it was differentially expressed in the early meiotic stages. The MenA transcript was most abundant in fruiting body primordia prior to the premeiotic S-phase; it remained high from karyogamy to early pachytene, declined drastically by late pachytene and diplotene, and was undetectable by sterigma stage. Western blot analysis showed that the mENase protein was produced at a very low level in mycelium; it was produced in great quantity during the early meiotic stages and decreased to a low level at the end of meiosis.