MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF THE CBH2 GENE OF TRICHODERMA-VIRIDE

Total RNA was extracted, reverse transcribed, and the polymerase chain reaction performed to amplify the cDNA sequence of the Trichoderma vi ride cbh2 gene. A 1.5 kb amplified fragment bearing the coding sequenc e for the CBHII protein of T. viride and a 4.4 kb EcoRI fragment conta ining the cbh2 structural gene from a cloned, 14 kb San: fragment of g enomic DNA were characterized. Structural analysis showed that the nuc leotide sequences of Trichoderma cbh2 genes are highly conserved in ev olution. Comparison of the regions upstream of the cellulase genes sug gested that the difference in expression level of those genes may be a ttributed to the diversified regulatory sequences. The possible functi on of several determined unique sequences in the T. viride cbh2 flanki ng region is also discussed.