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Research Triangle Park, North
Carolina
August 14, 2001
Synteny between Magnaporthe
Grisae and Neurospora Crassa will have significant
applications in fermentation, crop protection and antifungal
chemical discovery
Paradigm Genetics,
Inc. (Nasdaq: PDGM) published details of the first discovery
of the synteny (genetic similarity) between two filamentous
fungi -- Magnaporthe grisae, a tropical rice pathogen, and
Neurospora crassa, the classic bread mold. The findings have
application in industrial-scale fermentation, crop protection
and antifungal chemical discovery. The paper, "Regions of
Microsynteny in Magnaporthe grisae and Neurospora crassa,"
authored by seven Paradigm scientists, appeared in the July 26,
2001 issue of Fungal Genetics and Biology.
"Until this finding, the degree of similarity between
filamentous fungal genomes was largely speculative. This study
shows that filamentous fungi are very different from baker's
yeast," said John Hamer, Ph.D., Vice President, Research for
Paradigm Genetics. "Now, due to the completion of sequencing of
Neurospora crassa by the Whitehead Institute, and our own
efforts in the sequencing and annotation of Magnaporthe grisae,
we have been able to show that there are striking similarities
in the gene order and structure of two very different fungi.
These results will allow us to speed the discovery of new
pathways and antifungal targets for our product development
pipeline."
N. crassa has long been used in the study of basic genetics and
was the basis for the "one gene one enzyme" hypothesis published
by Beadle and Tatum in 1941. Their theory -- each gene
determines the structure of a specific enzyme that, in turn,
allows a single chemical reaction to proceed -- is foundational
to the field of molecular biology.
About Paradigm Genetics, Inc.
Paradigm Genetics is industrializing the process of gene
function discovery for four major sectors of the global economy:
human health, nutrition, crop production, and industrial
products. The company has designed the GeneFunction Factory(TM)
-- an integrated, rapid, industrial-scale laboratory through
which it discovers gene function. Paradigm and its strategic
partners intend to develop novel products using information
developed with the GeneFunction Factory(TM). Paradigm's
GeneFunction Factory(TM) is based on a state of the art
phenomics platform integrated with metabolic profiling and gene
expression profiling technologies. The backbone of the
GeneFunction Factory(TM) is the company's proprietary
FunctionFinder(TM) bioinformatics system, used to collect,
store, analyze, and retrieve information. For more information,
visit
www.paradigmgenetics.com.
GeneFunction Factory(TM) and
FunctionFinder(TM) are U.S. trademarks of Paradigm Genetics,
Inc.
Company news release
N3722
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