Evidence for further non-coding RNA genes in the fungal rDNA region

By

Alm Rosenblad, Magnus
Larsson, Ellen
Walker, Arttapon
Thongklang, Naritsada
Wurzbacher, Christian
Nilsson, R. Henrik

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2022

Original Publication

MycoKeys

Volume

90

Pages

203--213

Subjects

Basidiomycetes , IGS , ITS , MRP , non-coding RNA , RNase MRP , RNase P , SRP

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers 2011-

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/mycokeys.90.84866

 

Abstract

Non-coding RNA (ncRNA) genes play important, but incompletely understood, roles in various cellular processes, notably translation and gene regulation. A recent report on the detection of the ncRNA Signal Recognition Particle gene in the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region of several species of three genera of ectomycorrhizal basidiomycetes prompted a more thorough bioinformatics search for additional ncRNA genes in the full fungal ribosomal operon. This study reports on the detection of three ncRNA genes hitherto not known from the fungal ribosomal region: nuclear RNase P RNA, RNase MRP RNA, and a possible snoRNA U14 in a total of five species of Auricularia and Inocybe. We verified their presence through resequencing of independent specimens. Two completed Auricularia genomes were found to lack these ncRNAs elsewhere than in the ribosomal operon, suggesting that these are functional genes. It seems clear that ncRNA genes play a larger role in fungal ribosomal genetics than hitherto thought.