The Metarhizium anisopliae trp1 gene: cloning and regulatory analysis

The trp1 gene from the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae, cloned by heterologous hybridization with the plasmid carrying the trpC gene from Aspergillus nidulans, was sequence characterized. The predicted translation product has the conserved catalytic domains of glutamine amidotransferase (G domain), indoleglycerolphosphate synthase (C domain), and phosphoribosyl anthranilate isomerase (F domain) organized as NH2–G–C–F–COOH. The ORF is interrupted by a single intron of 60 nt that is position conserved in relation to trp genes from Ascomycetes and length conserved in relation to Basidiomycetes species. RT-PCR analysis suggests constitutive expression of trp1 gene in M. anisopliae.