CLONING, SEQUENCING, AND TRANSGENIC EXPRESSION OF PODOSPORA-CURVICOLLA AND SORDARIA-MACROSPORA EEF1A GENES - RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CYTOSOLICTRANSLATION AND LONGEVITY IN FILAMENTOUS FUNGI

We have cloned and sequenced the gene encoding the translation elongat ion factor eEF1A from two filamentous fungi, Podospora curvicolla and Sordaria macrospora. These fungi are close relatives of Podospora anse rina and also show senescence syndromes, Comparison of the sequences o f the deduced proteins with that of P, anserina reveals that the three proteins differ in several positions. Replacement of the P, anserina gene by either of the two exogenous genes does not entail any modifica tion in P. anserina physiology; the longevity of the fungus is not aff ected, No alteration of in vivo translational accuracy was detected; h owever, the exogenous proteins nonetheless promoted a modification of the resistance to the aminoglycoside antibiotic paromomycin. These dat a suggest that optimization of life span between these closely related fungi has likely not been performed during evolution through modifica tions of eEF1A activity, despite the fact that mutations in this facto r can drastically affect longevity. (C) 1997 Academic Press.