Genetic and molecular characterization of a gene encoding a wide specificity purine permease of Aspergillus nidulans reveals a novel family of transporters conserved in prokaryotes and eukaryotes

Substitution F569S converts UapA, a specific uric acid-xanthine transporter, into a broad specificity transporter for purine-related solutes

UapA, a highly specific uric acid-xanthine transporter in Aspergillus nidulans, is a member of a large family of nucleobase-ascorbate transporters conserved in all domains of life. We have investigated structure-function relationships in UapA, by studying chimeric transporters and missense mutations, and showed that specific polar or charged amino acid residues (E412, E414, Q449, N450, T457) on either side of an amphipathic alpha-helical transmembrane segment (TMS10) are critical for purine binding and transport. Here, the mutant Q449E, having no uric acid-xanthine transport activity at 25 degrees C, was used to isolate second-site revertants that restore function. Seven of them were found to have acquired the capacity to transport novel substrates (hypoxanthine and adenine) in addition to uric acid and xanthine. All seven revertants were found to carry the mutation F569S within the last transmembrane segment (TMS14) of UapA. Further kinetic analysis of a selected suppressor showed that UapA-Q449E/F569S transports with high affinity (K(M) values of 4-10 microM) xanthine, hypoxanthine and uracil. Uptake competition experiments suggested that UapA-Q449E/F569S also binds guanine, 6-thioguanine, adenosine or ascorbic acid. A strain carrying mutation F569S by itself conserves high-capacity, high-affinity (K(M) values of 1.5-15 microM), transport activity for purine-uracil transport. Compared to UapA-Q449E/F569S, UapA-F569S has a distinct capacity to bind several nucleobase-related compounds and different kinetic parameters of transport. These results show that molecular determinants external to the central functional domain (L9-TMS10-L10) are critical for the uptake specificity and transport kinetics of UapA.

Complete nucleotide sequence and organization of the atrazine catabolic plasmid pADP-1 from Pseudomonas sp. strain ADP

The complete 108,845-nucleotide sequence of catabolic plasmid pADP-1 from Pseudomonas sp. strain ADP was determined. Plasmid pADP-1 was previously shown to encode AtzA, AtzB, and AtzC, which catalyze the sequential hydrolytic removal of s-triazine ring substituents from the herbicide atrazine to yield cyanuric acid. Computational analyses indicated that pADP-1 encodes 104 putative open reading frames (ORFs), which are predicted to function in catabolism, transposition, and plasmid maintenance, transfer, and replication. Regions encoding transfer and replication functions of pADP-1 had 80 to 100% amino acid sequence identity to pR751, an IncPbeta plasmid previously isolated from Enterobacter aerogenes. pADP-1 was shown to contain a functional mercury resistance operon with 99% identity to Tn5053. Complete copies of transposases with 99% amino acid sequence identity to TnpA from IS1071 and TnpA from Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes were identified and flank each of the atzA, atzB, and atzC genes, forming structures resembling nested catabolic transposons. Functional analyses identified three new catabolic genes, atzD, atzE, and atzF, which participate in atrazine catabolism. Crude extracts from Escherichia coli expressing AtzD hydrolyzed cyanuric acid to biuret. AtzD showed 58% amino acid sequence identity to TrzD, a cyanuric acid amidohydrolase, from Pseudomonas sp. strain NRRLB-12227. Two other genes encoding the further catabolism of cyanuric acid, atzE and atzF, reside in a contiguous cluster adjacent to a potential LysR-type transcriptional regulator. E. coli strains bearing atzE and atzF were shown to encode a biuret hydrolase and allophanate hydrolase, respectively. atzDEF are cotranscribed. AtzE and AtzF are members of a common amidase protein family. These data reveal the complete structure of a catabolic plasmid and show that the atrazine catabolic genes are dispersed on three disparate regions of the plasmid. These results begin to provide insight into how plasmids are structured, and thus evolve, to encode the catabolism of compounds recently added to the biosphere.

Identification of a nucleoside/nucleobase transporter from Plasmodium falciparum, a novel target for anti-malarial chemotherapy

Plasmodium, the aetiologic agent of malaria, cannot synthesize purines de novo, and hence depends upon salvage from the host. Here we describe the molecular cloning and functional expression in Xenopus oocytes of the first purine transporter to be identified in this parasite. This 422-residue protein, which we designate PfENT1, is predicted to contain 11 membrane-spanning segments and is a distantly related member of the widely distributed eukaryotic protein family the equilibrative nucleoside transporters (ENTs). However, it differs profoundly at the sequence and functional levels from its homologous counterparts in the human host. The parasite protein exhibits a broad substrate specificity for natural nucleosides, but transports the purine nucleoside adenosine with a considerably higher apparent affinity (K(m) 0.32+/-0.05 mM) than the pyrimidine nucleoside uridine (K(m) 3.5+/-1.1 mM). It also efficiently transports nucleobases such as adenine (K(m) 0.32+/-0.10 mM) and hypoxanthine (K(m) 0.41+/-0.1 mM), and anti-viral 3'-deoxynucleoside analogues. Moreover, it is not sensitive to classical inhibitors of mammalian ENTs, including NBMPR [6-[(4-nitrobenzyl)thio]-9-beta-D-ribofuranosylpurine, or nitrobenzylthioinosine] and the coronary vasoactive drugs, dipyridamole, dilazep and draflazine. These unique properties suggest that PfENT1 might be a viable target for the development of novel anti-malarial drugs.

Expression of the Avirulence gene Avr9 of the fungal tomato pathogen Cladosporium fulvum is regulated by the global nitrogen response factor NRF1

Here we describe the role of the Cladosporium fulvum nitrogen response factor 1 (Nrf1) gene in regulation of the expression of avirulence gene Avr9 and virulence on tomato. The Nrf1 gene, which was isolated by a polymerase chain reaction-based strategy, is predicted to encode a protein of 918 amino acid residues. The protein contains a putative zinc finger DNA-binding domain that shares 98% amino acid identity with the zinc finger of the major nitrogen regulatory proteins AREA and NIT2 of Aspergillus nidulans and Neurospora crassa, respectively. Functional equivalence of Nrf1 to areA was demonstrated by complementation of an A. nidulans areA loss-of-function mutant with Nrf1. Nrf1-deficient transformants of C. fulvum obtained by homologous recombination were unable to utilize nitrate and nitrite as a nitrogen source. In contrast to what was observed in the C. fulvum wild-type, the Avr9 gene was no longer induced under nitrogen-starvation conditions in Nrf1-deficient strains. On susceptible tomato plants, the Nrf1-deficient strains were as virulent as wild-type strains of C. fulvum, although the expression of the Avr9 gene was strongly reduced. In addition, Nrf1-deficient strains were still avirulent on tomato plants containing the functional Cf-9 resistance gene, indicating that in planta, apparently sufficient quantities of stable AVR9 elicitor are produced. Our results suggest that the NRF1 protein is a major regulator of the Avr9 gene.

The formamidase gene of Aspergillus nidulans: regulation by nitrogen metabolite repression and transcriptional interference by an overlapping upstream gene

The ability to utilize formamide as a sole nitrogen source has been found in numerous fungi. We have cloned the fmdS gene encoding a formamidase from Aspergillus nidulans and found that it belongs to a highly conserved family of proteins separate from the major amidase families. The expression of fmdS is primarily regulated via AreA-mediated nitrogen metabolite repression and does not require the addition of exogenous inducer. Consistent with this, deletion analysis of the 5' region of fmdS has confirmed the presence of multiple AreA-binding sites containing a characteristic core GATA sequence. Under carbon starvation conditions the response to nitrogen starvation is eliminated, indicating that the lack of a carbon source may result in inactivation of AreA. Sequence analysis and isolation of cDNAs show that a gene of unknown function lies directly 5' of fmdS with its transcript overlapping the fmdS coding region. Disruption of the 5' gene and analysis of the effects of overexpression of this gene on fmdS expression has shown that expression of this upstream gene interferes with fmdS transcription, resulting in a strong dependence on AreA activation for expression. Therefore the relative position of these two genes is essential for normal regulation of fmdS.

Identification of a nucleoside/nucleobase transporter from Plasmodium falciparum, a novel target for anti-malarial chemotherapy

Plasmodium, the aetiologic agent of malaria, cannot synthesize purines de novo, and hence depends upon salvage from the host. Here we describe the molecular cloning and functional expression in Xenopus oocytes of the first purine transporter to be identified in this parasite. This 422-residue protein, which we designate PfENT1, is predicted to contain 11 membrane-spanning segments and is a distantly related member of the widely distributed eukaryotic protein family the equilibrative nucleoside transporters (ENTs). However, it differs profoundly at the sequence and functional levels from its homologous counterparts in the human host. The parasite protein exhibits a broad substrate specificity for natural nucleosides, but transports the purine nucleoside adenosine with a considerably higher apparent affinity (K(m) 0.32+/-0.05 mM) than the pyrimidine nucleoside uridine (K(m) 3.5+/-1.1 mM). It also efficiently transports nucleobases such as adenine (K(m) 0.32+/-0.10 mM) and hypoxanthine (K(m) 0.41+/-0.1 mM), and anti-viral 3'-deoxynucleoside analogues. Moreover, it is not sensitive to classical inhibitors of mammalian ENTs, including NBMPR [6-[(4-nitrobenzyl)thio]-9-beta-D-ribofuranosylpurine, or nitrobenzylthioinosine] and the coronary vasoactive drugs, dipyridamole, dilazep and draflazine. These unique properties suggest that PfENT1 might be a viable target for the development of novel anti-malarial drugs.

Protein expression and subcellular localization of the general purine transporter UapC from Aspergillus nidulans

The uapC gene of Aspergillus nidulans belongs to a family of nucleobase-specific transporters conserved in prokaryotic and eucaryotic organisms. We report the use of immunological and green fluorescent protein based strategies to study protein expression and subcellular distribution of UapC. A chimeric protein containing a plant-adapted green fluorescent protein (sGFP) fused to the C-terminus of UapC was shown to be functional in vivo, as it complements a triple mutant (i.e., uapC(-) uapA(-) azgA(-)) unable to grow on uric acid as the sole nitrogen source. UapC-GFP is located in the plasma membrane and, secondarily, in internal structures observed as fluorescent dots. A strong correlation was found between cellular levels of UapC-GFP fluorescence and known patterns of uapC gene expression. This work represents the first in vivo study of protein expression and subcellular localization of a filamentous fungal nucleobase transporter.

Nucleobase transporters (review)

Purines and pyrimidines play a key role in nucleic acid and nucleotide metabolism of all cells. In addition, they can be used as nitrogen sources in plants and many microorganisms. Transport of nucleobases across biological membranes is mediated by specific transmembrane transport proteins. Nucleobase transporters have been identified genetically and/or physiologically in bacteria, fungi, protozoa, algae, plants and mammals. A limited number of bacterial and fungal transporter genes have been cloned and analysed in great detail at the molecular level. Very recently, nucleobase transporters have been identified in plants. In other systems, with less accessible genetics, such as vertebrates and protozoa, no nucleobase transporter genes have been identified, and the transporters have been characterized and classified by physiological and biochemical approaches instead. In this review, it is shown that nucleobase transporters and similar sequences of unknown function present in databases constitute three basic families, which will be designated NAT, PRT and PUP. The first includes members from archea, eubacteria, fungi, plants and metazoa, the second is restricted to prokaryotes and fungi, and the last one is only found in plants. Interestingly, mammalian ascorbate transporters are homologous to NAT sequences. The function of different nucleobase transporters is also described, as is how their expression is regulated and what is currently known about their structure-function relationships. Common features emerging from these studies are expected to prove critical in understanding what governs nucleobase transporter specificity and in selecting proper model microbial systems for cloning and studying plant, protozoan and mammalian nucleobase transporters of agricultural, pharmacological and medical importance.

Amino acid residues N450 and Q449 are critical for the uptake capacity and specificity of UapA, a prototype of a nucleobase-ascorbate transporter family

Specific carrier-mediated transport of purine and pyrimidine nucleobases across cell membranes is a basic biological process in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Recent in silico analysis has shown that the Aspergillus nidulans (UapA, UapC) and bacterial (PbuX, UraA, PyrP) nucleobase transporters, and a group of mammalian L-ascorbic acid transporters (SVCT1 and SVCT2), constitute a unique protein family which includes putative homologues from archea, bacteria, plants and metazoans. The construction and functional analysis of chimeric purine transporters (UapA-UapC) and UapA-specific missense mutations in A. nidulans has previously shown that the region including amino acid residues 378-446 in UapA is critical for purine recognition and transport. Here, we extend our studies on UapA structure-function relationships by studying missense mutations constructed within a 'signature' sequence motif [(F/Y/S)X(Q/E/P)NXGXXXXT(K/R/G)] which is conserved in the putative functional region of all members of the nucleobase/ascorbate transporter family. Residues Q449 and N450 were found to be critical for purine recognition and transport. The results suggest that these residues might directly or indirectly be involved in specific interactions with the purine ring. In particular, interaction of residue 449 with C-2 groups of purines might act as a critical molecular filter involved in the selection of transported substrates. The present and previous mutagenic analyses in UapA suggest that specific polar or charged amino acid residues on either side of an amphipathic alpha-helical transmembrane segment are critical for purine binding and transport.

A human nucleobase transporter-like cDNA (SLC23A1): member of a transporter family conserved from bacteria to mammals

A family of related polytopic membrane proteins that mediate the transport of nucleobases has been extended to Homo sapiens by the cloning of a full-length human cDNA that encodes a nucleobase transporter-like protein. The protein is predicted to contain 11-14 transmembrane-spanning regions, exhibits 20-28% overall sequence identity to fungal and bacterial transporters, and contains a conserved signature motif found in this family. Fluorescence in situ hybridization localized the gene (HGMW-approved symbol SLC23A1) to human chromosome 20p13. Human nucleobase transporter-like mRNA was present in all tissues examined, with lower levels found in heart, skeletal muscle, and ovary. Expression of the 60-kDa cDNA-encoded protein was demonstrated by an in vitro transcription-translation approach. The identification of this nucleobase transporter-like protein will allow the further elucidation of the interaction of human cells with physiological nucleobases and pharmacologically important drugs such as 5-F-uracil, dideoxynucleosides, and acyclic nucleosides.

A family of mammalian Na+-dependent L-ascorbic acid transporters

Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) is essential for many enzymatic reactions, in which it serves to maintain prosthetic metal ions in their reduced forms (for example, Fe2+, Cu+), and for scavenging free radicals in order to protect tissues from oxidative damage. The facilitative sugar transporters of the GLUT type can transport the oxidized form of the vitamin, dehydroascorbic acid, but these transporters are unlikely to allow significant physiological amounts of vitamin C to be taken up in the presence of normal glucose concentrations, because the vitamin is present in plasma essentially only in its reduced form. Here we describe the isolation of two L-ascorbic acid transporters, SVCT1 and SVCT2, from rat complementary DNA libraries, as the first step in investigating the importance of L-ascorbic acid transport in regulating the supply and metabolism of vitamin C. We find that SVCT1 and SVCT2 each mediate concentrative, high-affinity L-ascorbic acid transport that is stereospecific and is driven by the Na+ electrochemical gradient. Despite their close sequence homology and similar functions, the two isoforms of the transporter are discretely distributed: SVCT1 is mainly confined to epithelial systems (intestine, kidney, liver), whereas SVCT2 serves a host of metabolically active cells and specialized tissues in the brain, eye and other organs.

Role of XDHC in Molybdenum cofactor insertion into xanthine dehydrogenase of Rhodobacter capsulatus

Rhodobacter capsulatus xanthine dehydrogenase (XDH) is composed of two subunits, XDHA and XDHB. Immediately downstream of xdhB, a third gene was identified, designated xdhC, which is cotranscribed with xdhAB. Interposon mutagenesis revealed that the xdhC gene product is required for XDH activity. However, XDHC is not a subunit of active XDH, which forms an alpha2beta2 heterotetramer in R. capsulatus. It was shown that XDHC neither is a transcriptional regulator for xdh gene expression nor influences XDH stability. To analyze the function of XDHC for XDH in R. capsulatus, inactive XDH was purified from an xdhC mutant strain. Analysis of the molybdenum cofactor content of this enzyme demonstrated that in the absence of XDHC, no molybdopterin cofactor MPT is present in the XDHAB tetramer. In contrast, absorption spectra of inactive XDH isolated from the xdhC mutant revealed the presence of iron-sulfur clusters and flavin adenine dinucleotide, demonstrating that XDHC is not required for the insertion of these cofactors. The absence of MPT from XDH isolated from an xdhC mutant indicates that XDHC either acts as a specific MPT insertase or might be a specific chaperone facilitating the insertion of MPT and/or folding of XDH during or after cofactor insertion.

Phylogenetic characterization of novel transport protein families revealed by genome analyses

As a result of recent genome sequencing projects as well as detailed biochemical, molecular genetic and physiological experimentation on representative transport proteins, we have come to realize that all organisms possess an extensive but limited array of transport protein types that allow the uptake of nutrients and excretion of toxic substances. These proteins fall into phylogenetic families that presumably reflect their evolutionary histories. Some of these families are restricted to a single phylogenetic group of organisms and may have arisen recently in evolutionary time while others are found ubiquitously and may be ancient. In this study we conduct systematic phylogenetic analyses of 26 families of transport systems that either had not been characterized previously or were in need of updating. Among the families analyzed are some that are bacterial-specific, others that are eukaryotic-specific, and others that are ubiquitous. They can function by either a channel-type or a carrier-type mechanism, and in the latter case, they are frequently energized by coupling solute transport to the flux of an ion down its electrochemical gradient. We tabulate the currently sequenced members of the 26 families analyzed, describe the properties of these families, and present partial multiple alignments, signature sequences and phylogenetic trees for them all.

The hxB gene, necessary for the post-translational activation of purine hydroxylases in Aspergillus nidulans, is independently controlled by the purine utilization and the nicotinate utilization transcriptional activating systems

Molybdenum-containing enzymes of the hydroxylase class (such as xanthine dehydrogenase, aldehyde oxidase and nicotinate dehydrogenase) require a terminal sulphur atom attached to the molybdenum to hydroxylate their specific substrates. The transulphurylation reaction is carried out in Drosophila melanogaster by the product of the ma-I gene. In Aspergillus nidulans, the activity of the isofunctional and homologous HxB protein is needed in at least two different metabolic contexts, when the organism grows on purines and when it grows on nicotinate as nitrogen sources. We show here that the expression of the hxB gene is not constitutive. It is induced independently and additively by the inducers of the purine and of the nicotinate utilization pathways. Each of these induction pathways is affected independently by mutations in their cognate genes, uric acid induction by mutations in the UaY protein and nicotinate and 6-nicotinate induction by those in the hxnR/aplA complex. It is, in both metabolic contexts, exquisitely sensitive to nitrogen metabolite repression and highly dependent on the AreA GATA factor.

Molecular characterization of two novel transporters from human and mouse kidney and from LLC-PK1 cells reveals a novel conserved family that is homologous to bacterial and Aspergillus nucleobase transporters

Nucleobase transport is important for the metabolism of nucleic acids and antiviral and antineoplastic drugs. This transport has been functionally described in several mammalian cells but has not been well characterized molecularly. We report the cloning of two novel transporters. YSPL2 encodes a 650-residue protein and has an ubiquitous 8 kb transcript. The human and pig homologs are 95% similar. YSPL3 encodes a 598-residue protein with a 3 kb transcript that is expressed only in kidney and liver. Human YSPL2 and YSPL3 are 60% similar at the amino acid level and both show 31% similarity to the first nucleobase permease gene described in vertebrates, YSPL1. These proteins appear to be members of a new family of possible nucleobase transporters with significant sequence similarities with bacterial and Aspergillus nucleobase transporters. Further functional studies will be needed to unveil the role of these transporters in nucleic acid metabolism in normal and in disease states.

Mutational analysis of AREA, a transcriptional activator mediating nitrogen metabolite repression in Aspergillus nidulans and a member of the "streetwise" GATA family of transcription factors

The transcriptional activator AREA is a member of the GATA family of transcription factors and mediates nitrogen metabolite repression in the fungus Aspergillus nidulans. The nutritional versatility of A. nidulans and its amenability to classical and reverse genetic manipulations make the AREA DNA binding domain (DBD) a useful model for analyzing GATA family DBDs, particularly as structures of two AREA-DNA complexes have been determined. The 109 extant mutant forms of the AREA DBD surveyed here constitute one of the highest totals of eukaryotic transcription factor DBD mutants, are discussed in light of the roles of individual residues, and are compared to corresponding mutant sequence changes in other fungal GATA factor DBDs. Other topics include delineation of the DBD using both homology and mutational truncation, use of frameshift reversion to detect regions of tolerance to mutational change, the finding that duplication of the DBD can apparently enhance AREA function, and use of the AREA system to analyze a vertebrate GATA factor DBD. Some major points to emerge from work on the AREA DBD are (i) tolerance to sequence change (with retention of function) is surprisingly great, (ii) mutational changes in a transcription factor can have widely differing, even opposing, effects on expression of different structural genes so that monitoring expression of one or even several structural genes can be insufficient and possibly misleading, and (iii) a mutational change altering local hydrophobic packing and DNA binding target specificity can markedly influence the behavior of mutational changes elsewhere in the DBD.

Chimeric purine transporters of Aspergillus nidulans define a domain critical for function and specificity conserved in bacterial, plant and metazoan homologues

In Aspergillus nidulans, purine uptake is mediated by three transporter proteins: UapA, UapC and AzgA. UapA and UapC have partially overlapping functions, are 62% identical and have nearly identical predicted topologies. Their structural similarity is associated with overlapping substrate specificities; UapA is a high-affinity, high-capacity specific xanthine/uric acid transporter. UapC is a low/moderate-capacity general purine transporter. We constructed and characterized UapA/UapC, UapC/UapA and UapA/UapC/UapA chimeric proteins and UapA point mutations. The region including residues 378-446 in UapA (336-404 in UapC) has been shown to be critical for purine recognition and transport. Within this region, we identified: (i) one amino acid residue (A404) important for transporter function but probably not for specificity and two residues (E412 and R414) important for UapA function and specificity; and (ii) a sequence, (F/Y/S)X(Q/E/P) NXGXXXXT(K/R/G), which is highly conserved in all homologues of nucleobase transporters from bacteria to man. The UapC/UapA series of chimeras behaves in a linear pattern and leads to an univocal assignment of functional domains while the analysis of the reciprocal and 'sandwich' chimeras revealed unexpected inter-domain interactions. cDNAs coding for transporters including the specificity region defined by these studies have been identified for the first time in the human and Caenorhabditis elegans databases.

The solution structure of the Leu22-->Val mutant AREA DNA binding domain complexed with a TGATAG core element defines a role for hydrophobic packing in the determination of specificity

The seemingly innocuous leucine-to-valine mutation at position 22 of the AREA DNA binding domain results in dramatic changes in the in vivo expression profile of genes controlled by this GATA transcription factor. This is associated with a preference of the Leu22-->Val mutant for TGATAG sites over (A/C)GATAG sites. Quantitative gel retardation assays confirm this observation and show that the Leu22-->Val mutant AREA DNA binding domain has a approximately 30-fold lower affinity than the wild-type domain for a 13 base-pair oligonucleotide containing the wild-type CGATAG target. To gain insight into the measured affinity data and further explore sequence specificity of the AREA protein, the solution structure of a complex between the Leu22-->Val mutant AREA DNA binding domain and a 13 base-pair oligonucleotide containing its physiologically relevant TGATAG target sequence has been determined by multidimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Comparison of this structure with that of the wild-type AREA DNA binding domain complexed to its cognate CGATAG target site shows how subtle changes in amino acid side-chain length and hydrophobic packing can affect affinity and specificity for GATA-containing sequences, and how changes in DNA sequence can be compensated for by changes in protein sequence.

The Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin gene is on a transposable element in type A human food poisoning strains

The Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin gene (cpe) is rarely found in naturally isolated strains. In human food poisoning strains, cpe is found on the chromosome, and is located episomally in animal isolates. Observations that the gene was somewhat unstable and could be gained or lost suggested that the gene was on a mobile element. An IS200-like element, IS1469, is almost always upstream of cpe. A new insertion element was identified, IS1470, a member of the IS30 family, which is found both up-an downstream of cpe in the type A strain NCTC 8239. PCR results confirmed that this configuration was conserved in type A human food poisoning strains. The enterotoxin gene was on a 6.3 kb transposon which, in addition to the two flanking copies of IS1470, included IS1469 and two 1 kb stretches, one on each side of cpe, with no open reading frames. Results indicated that 14 bp was copied from the genome during insertion. Details of the configuration of DNA in this transposon are presented, and the possible connection of this transposon with the movement of the enterotoxin gene is discussed.

Xanthine metabolism in Bacillus subtilis: characterization of the xpt-pbuX operon and evidence for purine- and nitrogen-controlled expression of genes involved in xanthine salvage and catabolism

The xpt and pbuX genes from Bacillus subtilis were cloned, and their nucleotide sequences were determined. The xpt gene encodes a specific xanthine phosphoribosyltransferase, and the pbuX gene encodes a xanthine-specific purine permease. The genes have overlapping coding regions, and Northern (RNA) blot analysis indicated an operon organization. The translation of the second gene, pbuX, was strongly dependent on the translation of the first gene, xpt. Expression of the operon was repressed by purines, and the effector molecules appear to be hypoxanthine and guanine. When hypoxanthine and guanine were added together, a 160-fold repression was observed. The regulation of expression was at the level of transcription, and we propose that a transcription termination-antitermination control mechanism similar to the one suggested for the regulation of the purine biosynthesis operon exists. The expression of the xpt-pbuX operon was reduced when hypoxanthine served as the sole nitrogen source. Under these conditions, the level of the hypoxanthine- and xanthine-degrading enzyme, xanthine dehydrogenase, was induced more than 80-fold. The xanthine dehydrogenase level was completely derepressed in a glnA (glutamine synthetase) genetic background. Although the regulation of the expression of the xpt-pbuX operon was found to be affected by the nitrogen source, it was normal in a glnA mutant strain. This result suggests the existence of different signalling pathways for repression of the transcription of the xpt-pbuX operon and the induction of xanthine dehydrogenase.

Nitrogen metabolite repression inAspergillus nidulans: an historical perspective

The paper of Arst and Cove (Mol. Gen. Genet. 126: 111 – 141, 1973) on "Nitrogen metabolite repression in Aspergillus nidulans" has influenced studies and perceptions of gene regulation in filamentous fungi during the past 21 years. Here I attempt to appraise the contributions of that paper and assess its role in further developments. Nitrogen metabolite repression, carbon catabolite repression, pathway-specific and integrated induction, as-acting regulatory mutations, a useful class of growth inhibitors, and a homologous Neurospora crassa gene are all discussed. Key words: Aspergillus nidulans, carbon catabolite repression, nitrogen metabolite repression.

Post-transcriptional control and kinetic characterization of proline transport in germinating conidiospores of Aspergillus nidulans

In the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans, L-proline uptake is mediated by the product of the prnB gene which codes for a member of a family of amino acid transporters found both in pro- and eukaryotes. Regulation of prnB gene expression has previously been studied in great detail at the molecular level. However, no studies have addressed possible post-transcriptional controls or the kinetic characterisation of the PrnB transporter. Here we develop a rapid and efficient method for direct uptake measurements of proline in germinating conidiospores of A. nidulans. We make use of this method and Northern blot analyses in parallel to study the regulation of PrnB expression both at the level of prnB message accumulation and at a post-transcriptional level. These studies show that (i) pathway-specific and wide-domain regulatory systems, previously shown to control prnB gene expression in multicellular mycelia, also operate in unicellular conidia committed to germination; and (ii) PrnB activity is regulated in response to the nitrogen source present in the medium and the level of internally accumulated proline or other amino acids. We also characterise kinetically the PrnB transporter and a secondary proline transport system. Our results open new possibilities for studies using unicellular conidiospores of filamentous fungi and constitute a necessary first step for a subsequent structure-function analysis of the PrnB transporter.

A new approach to the study of haematopoietic development in the yolk sac and embryoid bodies

To understand the mechanisms that control the differentiation of uncommitted mesoderm precursors into haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and the activation of haematopoiesis, we conducted a study to identify genes expressed at the earliest stages of both in vivo and in vitro haematopoietic development. Our strategy was to utilize Differential Display by means of the Polymerase Chain Reaction (DD-PCR) to compare patterns of gene expression between mRNA populations representing different levels of haematopoietic activity obtained from the mouse embryo, embryoid bodies (EBs) and mouse cell lines. We report the molecular cloning of two groups of genes expressed in the yolk sac: a group of genes expressed in the day-8.5 yolk sac at higher levels than in the day-8.5 embryo proper and up-regulated during EB development, and another group of day-8.5 yolk sac genes not expressed in the day-8.5 embryo proper or in EBs. Specifically, we describe the molecular cloning of the first nucleobase permease gene to be found in vertebrates, yolk sac permease-like molecule 1 (Ysp11). The Ysp11 gene has the unique property of encoding both intracellular, transmembrane and extracellular protein forms, revealing novel aspects of nucleotide metabolism that may be relevant during mammalian development.