Neurospora
Encyclopedia
Neurospora is a genus of Ascomycete fungi. The genus name, meaning "nerve spore" refers to the characteristic striations on the spores that resemble axon
s.
The best known species in this genus is Neurospora crassa
, a common model organism
in biology
. Neurospora intermedia var. oncomensis is believed to be the only mold belonging to Neurospora which is used in food production (to make oncom
).
s with broadly spreading colonies
, with abundant production of ascomata. Ascomata are superficial or immersed, perithecial and ostiolate or cleistothecial and non-ostiolate, hairy or glabrous, dark coloured. Peridium
membranaceous, asci
cylindrical, clavate or subspherical, with a persistent or evanescent wall, usually with a thickened and non-amyloid annular structure at the apex, usually 8-spored. Ascospore
s broadly fusiform, ellipsoidal, or nearly spherical, unicellular, hyaline to yellowish brown or olive-brown, becoming dark and opaque at maturity, ascospore wall with longitudinal ribs or pitted, occasionally nearly smooth, 1–2 (but rarely up to 12) germ pores disposed at the ends of the ascospores, gelatinous sheaths or appendages are absent. Anamorphs are known in only a relatively small number of species, which belong to the fungi imperfecti
genus Chrysonilia. The type species of the genus is Neurospora sitophila Shear
and Neurospora are closely related and not resolved as monophyletic groups, thus the former genus is nowadays included in Neurospora.
The genus includes the following species:
(especially N. crassa) because it is quickly reproducing, is easy to culture, and can survive on minimal media (inorganic salt
s, glucose, water and biotin
in agar
).
The first studies of sexual reproduction in Neurospora were made by B. O. Dodge. Neurospora was later used by George Wells Beadle and Edward Lawrie Tatum
in X-ray mutation experiments in order to discover mutants that would differ in nutritional requirements. The results of their experiments led them to the one gene-one enzyme hypothesis
, in which they postulated that every enzyme
was encoded with its own gene
.
Research with Neurospora is reported semi-annually at the Neurospora Meeting at Asilomar
, California, coordinated by the Fungal Genetics Stock Center
. Mutant and wild-type strains of Neurospora are available from the FGSC. The FGSC also publishes the Fungal Genetics Reports.
Important people in Neurospora research:
Axon
An axon is a long, slender projection of a nerve cell, or neuron, that conducts electrical impulses away from the neuron's cell body or soma....
s.
The best known species in this genus is Neurospora crassa
Neurospora crassa
Neurospora crassa is a type of red bread mold of the phylum Ascomycota. The genus name, meaning "nerve spore" refers to the characteristic striations on the spores. The first published account of this fungus was from an infestation of French bakeries in 1843. N...
, a common model organism
Model organism
A model organism is a non-human species that is extensively studied to understand particular biological phenomena, with the expectation that discoveries made in the organism model will provide insight into the workings of other organisms. Model organisms are in vivo models and are widely used to...
in biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
. Neurospora intermedia var. oncomensis is believed to be the only mold belonging to Neurospora which is used in food production (to make oncom
Oncom
Oncom is one of the traditional staple foods of West Javan cuisine. There are two kinds of oncom: red oncom and black oncom...
).
Characteristics
Neurospora species are moldMold
Molds are fungi that grow in the form of multicellular filaments called hyphae. Molds are not considered to be microbes but microscopic fungi that grow as single cells called yeasts...
s with broadly spreading colonies
Colony (biology)
In biology, a colony reference to several individual organisms of the same species living closely together, usually for mutual benefit, such as stronger defense or the ability to attack bigger prey. Some insects live only in colonies...
, with abundant production of ascomata. Ascomata are superficial or immersed, perithecial and ostiolate or cleistothecial and non-ostiolate, hairy or glabrous, dark coloured. Peridium
Peridium
The peridium is the protective layer that encloses a mass of spores in fungi. This outer covering is a distinctive feature of the Gasteromycetes.-Description:...
membranaceous, asci
Ascus
An ascus is the sexual spore-bearing cell produced in ascomycete fungi. On average, asci normally contain eight ascospores, produced by a meiotic cell division followed, in most species, by a mitotic cell division. However, asci in some genera or species can number one , two, four, or multiples...
cylindrical, clavate or subspherical, with a persistent or evanescent wall, usually with a thickened and non-amyloid annular structure at the apex, usually 8-spored. Ascospore
Ascospore
An ascospore is a spore contained in an ascus or that was produced inside an ascus. This kind of spore is specific to fungi classified as ascomycetes ....
s broadly fusiform, ellipsoidal, or nearly spherical, unicellular, hyaline to yellowish brown or olive-brown, becoming dark and opaque at maturity, ascospore wall with longitudinal ribs or pitted, occasionally nearly smooth, 1–2 (but rarely up to 12) germ pores disposed at the ends of the ascospores, gelatinous sheaths or appendages are absent. Anamorphs are known in only a relatively small number of species, which belong to the fungi imperfecti
Fungi imperfecti
The Fungi imperfecti or imperfect fungi, also known as Deuteromycota, are fungi which do not fit into the commonly established taxonomic classifications of fungi that are based on biological species concepts or morphological characteristics of sexual structures because their sexual form of...
genus Chrysonilia. The type species of the genus is Neurospora sitophila Shear
Systematics
The former genera GelasinosporaGelasinospora
Gelasinospora is a genus of fungi within the order Sordariales.-Reproduction:*Gelasinospora as a genus is made up of perithecial fungi, meaning that they discharge their ascospores through an ostiole....
and Neurospora are closely related and not resolved as monophyletic groups, thus the former genus is nowadays included in Neurospora.
The genus includes the following species:
- N. africana
- N. bonaerensis
- N. brevispora
- N. caffera
- N. calospora
- N. cerealis
- N. crassaNeurospora crassaNeurospora crassa is a type of red bread mold of the phylum Ascomycota. The genus name, meaning "nerve spore" refers to the characteristic striations on the spores. The first published account of this fungus was from an infestation of French bakeries in 1843. N...
- N. cratophora
- N. dictyophora
- N. discreta
- N. dodgei
- N. himalayensis
- N. hippopotama
- N. indica
- N. intermedia
- N. inversa
- N. kobi
- N. lineolata
- N. longispora
- N. novoguineensis
- N. pannonica
- N. pseudocalospora
- N. pseudoreticulata
- N. reticulata
- N. sitophila
- N. tetrasperma
Neurospora as model organisms
Neurospora is widely used in genetics as a model organismModel organism
A model organism is a non-human species that is extensively studied to understand particular biological phenomena, with the expectation that discoveries made in the organism model will provide insight into the workings of other organisms. Model organisms are in vivo models and are widely used to...
(especially N. crassa) because it is quickly reproducing, is easy to culture, and can survive on minimal media (inorganic salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
s, glucose, water and biotin
Biotin
Biotin, also known as Vitamin H or Coenzyme R, is a water-soluble B-complex vitamin discovered by Bateman in 1916. It is composed of a ureido ring fused with a tetrahydrothiophene ring. A valeric acid substituent is attached to one of the carbon atoms of the tetrahydrothiophene ring...
in agar
Agar
Agar or agar-agar is a gelatinous substance derived from a polysaccharide that accumulates in the cell walls of agarophyte red algae. Throughout history into modern times, agar has been chiefly used as an ingredient in desserts throughout Asia and also as a solid substrate to contain culture medium...
).
The first studies of sexual reproduction in Neurospora were made by B. O. Dodge. Neurospora was later used by George Wells Beadle and Edward Lawrie Tatum
Edward Lawrie Tatum
Edward Lawrie Tatum was an American geneticist. He shared half of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1958 with George Wells Beadle for showing that genes control individual steps in metabolism...
in X-ray mutation experiments in order to discover mutants that would differ in nutritional requirements. The results of their experiments led them to the one gene-one enzyme hypothesis
One gene-one enzyme hypothesis
The one gene-one enzyme hypothesis is the idea that genes act through the production of enzymes, with each gene responsible for producing a single enzyme that in turn affects a single step in a metabolic pathway...
, in which they postulated that every enzyme
Enzyme
Enzymes are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions. In enzymatic reactions, the molecules at the beginning of the process, called substrates, are converted into different molecules, called products. Almost all chemical reactions in a biological cell need enzymes in order to occur at rates...
was encoded with its own gene
Gene
A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...
.
Research with Neurospora is reported semi-annually at the Neurospora Meeting at Asilomar
Asilomar
Asilomar can refer to a number of things:* Asilomar State Beach – a beach in California, home to the Asilomar Conference Grounds* Asilomar International Conference on Climate Intervention Technologies in March 2009...
, California, coordinated by the Fungal Genetics Stock Center
Fungal Genetics Stock Center
Established in 1960, the Fungal Genetics Stock Center is the main open repository for genetically characterized fungi. The FGSC is a member of the World Federation for Culture Collections and the US Federation of Culture Collections.-Holdings:...
. Mutant and wild-type strains of Neurospora are available from the FGSC. The FGSC also publishes the Fungal Genetics Reports.
Important people in Neurospora research:
- Bernard Ogilvie DodgeBernard Ogilvie DodgeBernard Ogilvie Dodge was an American botanist and pioneer researcher on heredity in fungi. Dodge was the author of over 150 papers dealing with the life histories, cytology, morphology, pathology and genetics of fungi, and with insects and other animal pests of plants...
(1872-1960) - George Beadle (Nobel Prize in Physiology or MedicineNobel Prize in Physiology or MedicineThe Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine administered by the Nobel Foundation, is awarded once a year for outstanding discoveries in the field of life science and medicine. It is one of five Nobel Prizes established in 1895 by Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, in his will...
, 1958) - Edward Tatum (Nobel Prize in Physiology or MedicineNobel Prize in Physiology or MedicineThe Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine administered by the Nobel Foundation, is awarded once a year for outstanding discoveries in the field of life science and medicine. It is one of five Nobel Prizes established in 1895 by Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, in his will...
, 1958) - Esther LederbergEsther LederbergEsther Miriam Zimmer Lederberg was an American microbiologist and immunologist and pioneer of bacterial genetics...
- Norman GilesNorman GilesNorman Henry Giles was an American microbial geneticist who studied mutations of Neurospora crassa.-Notable papers:...
- David PerkinsDavid Perkins (geneticist)David Dexter Perkins was an American geneticist, a member of the faculty of Stanford University for more than 58 years, from 1948 until his death in 2007. He received his PhD in Zoology in 1949 from Columbia University. A member of the National Academy of Sciences, he served as President of the...
- Robert MetzenbergRobert MetzenbergRobert L. Metzenberg was an American geneticist known for his work on genetic regulation and metabolism with Neurospora crassa.-References:...
External links
- http://www.fgsc.net Fungal Genetics Stock Center
- http://www.fgsc.net/asilmtg.html Neurospora Meeting website
- Neurospora strains at the FGSC
- Neurospora genome projects
- Fungal Cell Biology Group at University of Edinburgh, UK. Website includes many movies and images of Neurospora.
- http://www.fgsc.net/FungalGeneticsReports.htm Fungal Genetics Reports
- http://www.benchfly.com/blog/the-almighty-fungi-the-revolutionary-neurospora-crassa/ Montenegro-Montero A. (2010) "The Almighty Fungi: The Revolutionary Neurospora crassa". A historical view of the many contributions of this organism to molecular biology.