IncreasingtubC ?-tubulin synthesis by placing it under the control of abenA ?-Tubulin upstream sequence causes a reduction inbenA ?-tubulin level but has no effect on microtubule function

Abstract

We have constructed a chimeric β-tubulin gene that places the structural gene for the tubC β-tubulin of Axpergillus nidulans under the control of the benA β-tubulin promoter. Introduction of cither this chimeric gene or a second wild-type ben.A gene into a benomyl-resistant benA22 strain causes it to become benomyl sensitive, indicating that the introduced genes are functional. Analysis of the tubulin proteins synthesized in benA22 strains into which a second wild-type benA β-tubulin gene was transformed showed that the total amount of β-tubulin protein was the same as in the parental strain with a single benA gene. Thus the level of β-tubulin must be regulated. This was also true of transformants carrying an extra copy of the chimeric β-tubulin gene. The total amount of β-tubulin was the same as in the parental strain. Two-dimensional gel analysis showed that the endoge-nous benA22 and the introduced chimeric tubC gene contributed equally to the total β-tubulin pool. Th; fact that one-half of the benA β-tubulin could be replaced by tubC β-tubulin with no effect on the growth of the cells suggests that the benA and tubC β-tubulins are functionally interchangeable.