Targeted gene silencing in the model mushroom Coprinopsis cinerea (Coprinus cinereus) by expression of homologous hairpin RNAs.

ABSTRACT: The ink cap Coprinopsis cinerea is a model organism for studying fruiting body (mushroom) formation in homobasidiomycetes. Mutant screens and expression studies have implicated a number of genes in this developmental process. Functional analysis of these genes, however, is hampered by the lack of reliable reverse genetics tools for C. cinerea. Here, we report the applicability of gene targeting by RNA silencing for this organism. Efficient silencing of both an introduced GFP expression cassette and the endogenous cgl1 and cgl2 isogenes was achieved by expression of homologous hairpin RNAs. In latter case, silencing was the result of a hairpin construct containing solely cgl2 sequences, demonstrating the possibility of simultaneous silencing of whole gene families by a single construct. Exp

SUBMITTER: Walti MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1459662 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature