%0 Journal Article %A Aldabbous, Mash'el Salman %A Roca, M. Gabriela %A Stout, Angela %A Huang, I-Ching %A Read, Nick D. %A Free, Stephen J. %T The ham-5, rcm-1 and rco-1 genes regulate hyphal fusion in Neurospora crassa %D 2010 %J Microbiology, %V 156 %N 9 %P 2621-2629 %@ 1465-2080 %R https://doi.org/10.1099/mic.0.040147-0 %K CAT, conidial anastomosis tube %K DIC, differential interference contrast %K RIP, repeat-induced point mutation %I Microbiology Society, %X Mutants of Neurospora crassa unable to participate in vegetative hyphal fusion (anastomosis) were isolated and characterized. From this analysis, three genes, rcm-1, rco-1 and ham-5, were identified and shown to be required for hyphal fusion. The rcm-1 and rco-1 genes are homologues of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae SSN6 and TUP1 genes, which encode a dimeric transcription factor in yeast. We demonstrate that in N. crassa the rcm-1 and rco-1 genes are required for hyphal fusion and normal hyphal morphology, and influence both asexual and sexual development. The ham-5 gene encodes a 1686 amino acid protein with two putative WD40 domains, which might participate in protein–protein interactions. ham-5 deletion mutants had a reduced rate of hyphal extension and altered hyphal morphology, and were unable to produce the conidial anastomosis tubes that are required for hyphal fusion during colony initiation. %U https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/micro/10.1099/mic.0.040147-0