Studies on the Function of the PRD-1 Gene in Neurospora Crassa

In Neurospora crassa, conidiation is controlled by the circadian clock which consists of more than one oscillator. The frequency (frq) gene is a key component in the FRQ oscillator. The prd-1 mutant was found to lengthen the period of the circadian rhythm and disrupts the FRQ-less rhythm, but how this mutant affects the oscillators was unclear. This thesis aims to study the function of the prd-1 gene. Building on previous research, knocking out prd-1 is lethal; strains expressing PRD-1-FLAG were constructed; prd-1 expression showed non- circadian rhythmicity; co-IP and MS analysis discovered ribosomal proteins bind to PRD-1; the prd-1 mutant responds to amino acids differently in growth; and the deletion of the C-terminus of prd-1 was found to be lethal. The results of these various experiments outlined that the prd-1 gene may affect the circadian rhythm via nutrient sensing pathways especially the TOR pathway.