In fungi, phototropism, the induction of carotenogenesis and reproductive structures, and resetting of the circadian rhythm are controlled by blue light. Trichoderma atroviride, a fungus used in biological control, sporulates in a synchronized manner following a brief pulse of blue light. Due to its apparent simplicity, this response was chosen for pursuing photoreceptor isolation. Two genes were cloned, blue-light regulators 1 and 2 (blr-1 and blr-2), similar to the Neurospora crassa white-collar 1 and 2, respectively. The BLR-1 protein has all the characteristics of a blue-light photoreceptor, whereas the structure of the deduced BLR-2 protein suggests that it interacts with BLR-1 through PAS domains to form a complex. Disruption of the corresponding genes demonstrated that they are essential for blue-light-induced conidiation. blr-1 and blr-2 were also shown to be essential for the light-induced expression of the photolyase-encoding gene (phr-1). Mechanical injury of mycelia was found to trigger conidiation of T. atroviride, a response not described previously. This response was not altered in the mutants. A novel effect of both red and blue light on mycelial growth was found involving another light receptor, which is compensated by the BLR proteins.

A repeated DNA sequence in the genome of Neurospora crassa has been identified as a family of degenerate retroelements. Retroelements encode protein sequences with clear homology to the reverse transcriptase, RNase H and endonuclease products of the pol genes common to retroviruses and retrotransposons. These sequence comparisons place the N. crassa element within the gypsy group of retrotransposons, akin to other elements found in filamentous fungi. However, the Neurospora element is defective, as no flanking long terminal repeats (LTRs) could be distinguished and the pol gene homologues contain numerous stop codons as a result of multiple base substitutions. The base composition of the element displays significant under-representation of the dinucleotide CpA, the preferred target site of repeat-induced point mutation (RIP). The genomic sequences exhibit G:C to A:T transitions between copies which are diagnostic of RIP. The degenerate retroelement has accordingly been designated by the acronym dab-1 (dead and buried).

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The Neurospora crassa homologue of the Aspergillus nidulans regulatory gene facB has been cloned. The gene encodes a putative transcriptional activator of 865 amino acids that contains a DNA-binding domain with a Zn(II)(2)Cys(6) binuclear cluster, a linker region and a leucine zipper-like heptad repeat. Two internal amino acid sequences are identical to peptide sequences determined from proteolytic fragments of a DNA-binding protein complex specific for genes involved in acetate utilisation and expressed in acetate-induced mycelia of N. crassa. Recombinant expression of the predicted DNA-binding domain demonstrates that it is capable of independent recognition of a subset of the promoter sequences that bind the protein complex from N. crassa. A duplication-induced mutation in the corresponding gene results in an acetate non-utilising phenotype that is characterised by inefficient induction of the enzymes required for acetate utilisation. The new gene does not fall into any existing complementation group and has been designated acu-15.

The promoter regions of four acetate-inducible genes of Neurospora crassa, acu-3, acu-5, acu-8 and acu-9, have been sequenced. Using a scanning gel mobility shift assay particular DNA regions in each promoter have been shown specifically to bind partially purified protein extracted from acetate-induced mycelia. The protein-binding regions so defined have common sequence motifs, elements of which are similar to those required for acetate induction in aspergillus nidulans.

The promoter regions of four acetate-inducible genes of Neurospora crassa, acu-3, acu-5, acu-8 and acu-9, have been sequenced. Using a scanning gel mobility shift assay particular DNA regions in each promoter have been shown specifically to bind partially purified protein extracted from acetate-induced mycelia. The protein-binding regions so defined have common sequence motifs, elements of which are similar to those required for acetate induction in aspergillus nidulans.