Basic nuclear proteins in the aquatic fungus Achlya ambisexualis

Area of Science:

• * Molecular Biology
• * Mycology
• * Biochemistry

Background:

• * Basic chromosomal proteins, including histones, are fundamental to eukaryotic DNA organization and function.
• * Understanding these proteins in diverse organisms like aquatic fungi provides insights into evolutionary conservation and divergence.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To characterize the complement of basic chromosomal proteins in the aquatic fungus Achlya ambisexualis.
• * To compare these proteins with known histones from other eukaryotes, such as mammals and plants.

Main Methods:

• * Electrophoretic analysis using acetic acid/urea polyacrylamide gels.
• * Electrophoretic analysis using dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gels.

Main Results:

• * Achlya nuclei contain proteins comparable to rabbit kidney histones H3, H4, and H2A based on electrophoretic mobility.
• * Putative Achlya H2B and H1 proteins exhibited behavior on acid/urea gels more analogous to higher plant histones.
• * Basic nuclear proteins of a related fungus, Saprolegnia ferax, were found to be very similar to those of Achlya.

Conclusions:

• * Achlya ambisexualis possesses a complement of basic chromosomal proteins with both conserved and divergent features compared to other eukaryotes.
• * The findings suggest a unique evolutionary trajectory for histone-like proteins in aquatic fungi.
• * Basic nuclear proteins in closely related aquatic fungi like Achlya and Saprolegnia are highly conserved.