CLONING A SEGMENT OF THE GENE ENCODING 3-HYDROXY-3-METHYLGLUTARYL COENZYME A REDUCTASE IN PHYCOMYCES-BLAKESLEEANUS AND GIBBERELLA-FUJIKUROI BY THE POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION

The enzyme 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase catalyzes the synthesis of mevalonate, the presursor of all isoprenoid compounds in plants and animals. We have amplified, cloned, and sequenced a segment of the gene encoding the HMG-CoA reductase (hmgA) from the fungiPhycomyces blakesleeanus andGibberella fujikuroi. The DNA amplification was performed with degenerate primers designed to anneal at conserved regions of the gene separated by about 300 bp. The sequences can now be used as probes to isolate the complete genes and to study their expression. The same protocol should allow the amplification of the homologous DNA segment from the genome of any other eukaryote. This is the first report of a DNA sequence fromG. fujikuroi. © 1992 Academic Press, Inc.