Neurospora crassa blue-light-inducible gene bli-7 encodes a short hydrophobic protein

Blue light induces a number of physiological reactions in Neurospora crassa. We have cloned and sequenced the gene bli-7, which is inducible by blue light, and both glucose and nitrogen starvation. This gene is strongly expressed at the RNA-level and contributes up to 0.2% of N. crassa total RNA when fully induced. The deduced amino acid sequence reveals a short (108 amino acids), hydrophobic protein which has homology to the protein SC-3, encoded by a gene of Schizophyllum commune which was isolated as a gene abundantly expressed at the time of fruiting. The amino-terminus of BLI-7 protein shows resemblance to a number of transit peptides. The comparison of the nucleotide sequence of the promoter region with various N. crassa promoters reveals a striking similarity to the promoter of grg-1, a glucose repressible gene.