A single mutation leads to loss of glutamine synthetase and relief of ammonium repression in Aspergillus.

Glutamine synthetase activity in the ascomycete fungus Aspergillus nidulans is regulated by nitrogen source. The lowest activities are obtained when the fungus is grown on L-glutamine, and the highest activities when grown on L-glutamate + arabinose. Glutamine auxotrophs of the fungus have been isolated, and one of these mutant strains, glnA-1, has been shown to lack the enzyme glutamine synthetase. The mutation is recessive, and is located on the right arm of chromosome II. In addition to abolishing glutamine synthetase activity, the mutation results in the relief of repression for several enzyme activities normally subject to repression by ammonium. These include nitrate reductase, asparaginase, proline uptake and urea uptake.