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PMID: 11566979 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

Role of glutamine synthetase in nitrogen metabolite repression in Aspergillus nidulans.

Journal of bacteriology ·Vol. 183 ·No. 20 ·2001-10-00 ·Pages 5826-33

Margelis S, D'Souza C, Small AJ, Hynes MJ, Adams TH, Davis MA

Abstract

Glutamine synthetase (GS), EC 6.3.1.2, is a central enzyme in the assimilation of nitrogen and the biosynthesis of glutamine. We have isolated the Aspergillus nidulans glnA gene encoding GS and have shown that glnA encodes a highly expressed but not highly regulated mRNA. Inactivation of glnA results in an absolute glutamine requirement, indicating that GS is responsible for the synthesis of this essential amino acid. Even when supplemented with high levels of glutamine, strains lacking a functional glnA gene have an inhibited morphology, and a wide range of compounds have been shown to interfere with repair of the glutamine auxotrophy. Heterologous expression of the prokaryotic Anabaena glnA gene from the A. nidulans alcA promoter allowed full complementation of the A. nidulans glnADelta mutation. However, the A. nidulans fluG gene, which encodes a protein with similarity to prokaryotic GS, did not replace A. nidulans glnA function when similarly expressed. Our studies with the glnADelta mutant confirm that glutamine, and not GS, is the key effector of nitrogen metabolite repression. Additionally, ammonium and its immediate product glutamate may also act directly to signal nitrogen sufficiency.

MeSH Terms
Amino Acid Sequence Anabaena/enzymology,genetics Aspergillus nidulans/enzymology,genetics Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal Genes, Bacterial Genetic Complementation Test Glutamate-Ammonia Ligase/genetics,metabolism Glutamic Acid/metabolism Glutamine/biosynthesis Molecular Sequence Data Nitrogen/metabolism Sequence Homology, Amino Acid Signal Transduction
Chemicals
Glutamine Glutamic Acid Glutamate-Ammonia Ligase Nitrogen
Authors & Affiliations
6 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Margelis S
Department of Genetics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia.
D'Souza C
Small A J
Hynes M J
Adams T H
Davis M A
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Article Info
Journal
Journal of bacteriology
Abbr.
J Bacteriol
ISSN
0021-9193
DOI
10.1128/JB.183.20.5826-5833.2001
Published
2001-10-00
Pages
5826-33
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
2985120R
PMCID
PMC99658
Subset
IM
Grants
NIGMS NIH HHS · GM45252 · United States
Databases
PIR
AF333968
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1128/JB.183.20.5826-5833.2001 PMC Full Text View journal details
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