Cloning and Organization of the Ribosomal RNA Genes of the Mushroom Trichloma matsutake

A portion (7.4 kb) of ribosomal DNA tandem repeat unit from a genome of the mushroom T. matsutake has been cloned. A 1.75 kb EcoRI fragment was cloned first using S. cerevisiae 255 rRNA gene as a probe, and this was then used for further cloning. A chromosomal walking experiment was carried out and the upstream region of the 1.75 kb fragment was cloned using SmaI/BamHI enzyme, the size was estimated to be 5.2 kb in length. Part of the downstream region of the 1.75 kb fragment was also cloned using XbaI/BamHI enzymes. Restriction enzyme maps of three cloned DNA fragments were constructed. Northern hybridization, using total RNA of T. matsutake, and the restriction fragments of three cloned DNAs as probes, revealed that all four ribosomal RNA genes (large subunit[LSU], small subunit [SSU], 5.85 and 5S rRNA genes) are present in the cloned region. The gene organization of the rDNA are regarded as an intergenic spacer [IGS]2 (partial) - SSU rRNA - internal transcribed spacer [ITS]1 - 5.8S rRNA - ITS2 - LSU rRNA - IGS1 -5S rRNA - IG52 (partial).