Transcriptional profiling of Neurospora crassa Δmak-2 reveals that mitogen-activated protein kinase MAK-2 participates in the phosphate signaling pathway. Neurospora crassa

Transcriptional profiling of Neurospora crassa ∆mak-2 strain grown under phosphate-shortage were compared the transcription profile of the control strain grown in both low- and high-Pi cultures. The filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa provides an excellent model system for the study of molecular responses to ambient signaling in eukaryotic microorganisms. Inorganic phosphate is an essential growth-limiting nutrient in nature and is crucial in genetic information. Numerous ambient signals activate the recruitment of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades. Thus, in an attempt to identify genes involved in metabolic responses to exogenous phosphate sensing and in the functioning of a mitogen-activated protein kinase coding gene (mak-2) in N. crassa, we performed microarray experiments with the strain carrying the mak-2 gene knockout (Δmak-2) grown under phosphate-shortage by comparing the transcription profile to that of the control strain grown in both low- and high-phosphate cultures. Here we provide evidence that the mak-2 gene is an element of the adaptive response to extracellular Pi changes revealing novel aspects of phosphorus-sensing network in N. crassa. Overall design: Neurospora crassa wild type strain St.L.74-OR23-1VA (FGSC #2489) cultivated in low and high Pi cultures and ∆mak-2 (FGSC #11482) mutant strain cultivated in low Pi cultures.