Photoregulation of the albino-3 gene in Neurospora crassa

In this paper we describe the light-regulated expression of albino-3 (al-3), a carotenoid biosynthetic gene of Neurospora crassa, in the wild-type strain. Our results suggest that the al-3 gene expression is regulated by the transcriptional activation of the gene and the low stability of its mRNA. The activation of the al-3 gene does not require protein synthesis to occur. The kinetic analysis of the al-3 mRNA reveals that the gene is transiently expressed even in continuous light, suggesting the presence of an adaptative process.