Isolation and Characterization of the adenylate cyclase structural gene of Neurospora crassa

A single gene (nac) encoding an adenylate cyclase was cloned from the genomic DNA library of Neurospora crassa, using the DNA fragment encoding the catalytic domain of adenylate cyclase of Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a probe. The open reading frame of this gene (6900 base pairs) was interrupted three time by introns. The protein encoded consists of 2300 amino acids and has adenylate cyclase activity. N. crassa adenylate cyclase has a high degree of homology with the catalytic domains of yeast and bovine brain adenylate cyclases.