Analysis of conventional and in vitro generated mutants of nmr, the negatively acting nitrogen regulatory gene of Neurospora crassa

The interplay between the GATA transcription factors AreA, the global nitrogen regulator and AreB in Fusarium fujikuroi

Nitrogen metabolite repression (NMR) in filamentous fungi is controlled by the GATA transcription factors AreA and AreB. While AreA mainly acts as a positive regulator of NMR-sensitive genes, the role of AreB is not well understood. We report the characterization of AreB and its interplay with AreA in the gibberellin-producing fungus Fusarium fujikuroi. The areB locus produces three different transcripts that each code for functional proteins fully complementing the areB deletion mutant that influence growth and secondary metabolism. However, under nitrogen repression, the AreB isoforms differ in subcellular localization indicating distinct functions under these conditions. In addition, AreA and two isoforms of AreB colocalize in the nucleus under low nitrogen, but their nuclear localization disappears under conditions of high nitrogen. Using a bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) approach we showed for the first time that one of the AreB isoforms interacts with AreA when starved of nitrogen. Cross-species complementation revealed that some AreB functions are retained between F. fujikuroi and Aspergillus nidulans while others have diverged. By comparison to other fungi where AreB was postulated to function as a negative counterpart of AreA, AreB can act as both repressor and activator of transcription in F. fujikuroi.

The bZIP transcription factor MeaB mediates nitrogen metabolite repression at specific loci

In Fusarium fujikuroi, bikaverin (BIK) biosynthesis is subject to repression by nitrogen. Unlike most genes subject to nitrogen metabolite repression, it has been shown that transcription of bik biosynthetic genes is not AreA dependent. Searching for additional transcription factors that may be involved in nitrogen regulation, we cloned and characterized the orthologue of Aspergillus nidulans meaB, which encodes a bZIP transcription factor. Two transcripts are derived from F. fujikuroi meaB: the large transcript (meaB(L)) predominates under nitrogen-sufficient conditions and the smaller transcript (meaB(S)) under nitrogen limitation, in an AreA-dependent manner. MeaB is specifically translocated to the nucleus under nitrogen-sufficient conditions in both F. fujikuroi and A. nidulans. Deletion of meaB resulted in partial upregulation of several nitrogen-regulated genes, but only in the ΔmeaB ΔareA double mutant were the bikaverin genes significantly upregulated in the presence of glutamine. These data demonstrate that MeaB and AreA coordinately mediate nitrogen metabolite repression and, importantly, that independently of AreA, MeaB can mediate nitrogen metabolite repression at specific loci in F. fujikuroi.

Cross-species hybridization with Fusarium verticillioides microarrays reveals new insights into Fusarium fujikuroi nitrogen regulation and the role of AreA and NMR

In filamentous fungi, the GATA-type transcription factor AreA plays a major role in the transcriptional activation of genes needed to utilize poor nitrogen sources. In Fusarium fujikuroi, AreA also controls genes involved in the biosynthesis of gibberellins, a family of diterpenoid plant hormones. To identify more genes responding to nitrogen limitation or sufficiency in an AreA-dependent or -independent manner, we examined changes in gene expression of F. fujikuroi wild-type and DeltaareA strains by use of a Fusarium verticillioides microarray representing approximately 9,300 genes. Analysis of the array data revealed sets of genes significantly down- and upregulated in the areA mutant under both N starvation and N-sufficient conditions. Among the downregulated genes are those involved in nitrogen metabolism, e.g., those encoding glutamine synthetase and nitrogen permeases, but also those involved in secondary metabolism. Besides AreA-dependent genes, we found an even larger set of genes responding to N starvation and N-sufficient conditions in an AreA-independent manner. To study the impact of NMR on AreA activity, we examined the expression of several AreA target genes in the wild type and in areA and nmr deletion and overexpression mutants. We show that NMR interacts with AreA as expected but affects gene expression only in early growth stages. This is the first report on genome-wide expression studies examining the influence of AreA on nitrogen-responsive gene expression in a genome-wide manner in filamentous fungi.

A new protein carrying an NmrA-like domain is required for cell differentiation and development in Dictyostelium discoideum

We have isolated a Dictyostelium mutant unable to induce expression of the prestalk-specific marker ecmB in monolayer assays. The disrupted gene, padA, leads to a range of phenotypic defects in growth and development. We show that padA is essential for growth, and we have generated a thermosensitive mutant allele, padA(-). At the permissive temperature, mutant cells grow poorly; they remain longer at the slug stage during development and are defective in terminal differentiation. At the restrictive temperature, growth is completely blocked, while development is permanently arrested prior to culmination. padA(-) slugs are deficient in prestalk A cell differentiation and present an abnormal ecmB expression pattern. Sequence comparisons and predicted three-dimensional structure analyses show that PadA carries an NmrA-like domain. NmrA is a negative transcriptional regulator involved in nitrogen metabolite repression in Aspergillus nidulans. PadA predicted structure shows a NAD(P)(+)-binding domain, which we demonstrate that is essential for function. We show that padA(-) development is more sensitive to ammonia than wild-type cells and two ammonium transporters, amtA and amtC, appear derepressed during padA(-) development. Our data suggest that PadA belongs to a new family of NAD(P)(+)-binding proteins that link metabolic changes to gene expression and is required for growth and normal development.

Role of the Fusarium fujikuroi TOR kinase in nitrogen regulation and secondary metabolism

In Fusarium fujikuroi, the biosynthesis of gibberellins (GAs) and bikaverin is under control of AreA-mediated nitrogen metabolite repression. Thus far, the signaling components acting upstream of AreA and regulating its nuclear translocation are unknown. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the target of rapamycin (TOR) proteins, Tor1p and Tor2p, are key players of nutrient-mediated signal transduction to control cell growth. In filamentous fungi, probably only one TOR kinase-encoding gene exists. However, nothing is known about its function. Therefore, we investigated the role of TOR in the GA-producing fungus F. fujikuroi in order to determine whether TOR plays a role in nitrogen regulation, especially in the regulation of GA and bikaverin biosynthesis. We cloned and characterized the F. fujikuroi tor gene. However, we were not able to create knockout mutants, suggesting that TOR is essential for viability. Inhibition of TOR by rapamycin affected the expression of AreA-controlled secondary metabolite genes for GA and bikaverin biosynthesis, as well as genes involved in transcriptional and translational regulation, ribosome biogenesis, and autophagy. Deletion of fpr1 encoding the FKBP12-homologue confirmed that the effects of rapamycin are due to the specific inhibition of TOR. Interestingly, the expression of most of the TOR target genes has been previously shown to be also affected in the glutamine synthetase mutant, although in the opposite way. We demonstrate here for the first time in a filamentous fungus that the TOR kinase is involved in nitrogen regulation of secondary metabolism and that rapamycin affects also the expression of genes involved in translation control, ribosome biogenesis, carbon metabolism, and autophagy.

Deletion of the Gibberella fujikuroi glutamine synthetase gene has significant impact on transcriptional control of primary and secondary metabolism

In Gibberella fujikuroi, the gibberellin (GA) and bikaverin biosynthesis are under control of nitrogen metabolite repression. However, the signalling components acting upstream of AREA are still unknown. We investigated the role of glutamine synthetase (GS) both as an enzyme and as a possible regulator in the nitrogen regulation system. We cloned and replaced the GS-encoding gene, glnA-Gf. The mutants grow with a phenotype different from the wild type in the presence of glutamine. They were unable to express nitrogen-repressed GA and bikaverin biosynthetic genes even under nitrogen starvation conditions. Complementation with the glnA-Gf wild-type copy fully restored GS activity, the expression of secondary metabolism genes, and the production of GAs and the red pigment, bikaverin. In order to find more target genes of GS, differential cDNA-screening and differential hybridization of macroarrays were performed using cDNA from the wild type and DeltaglnA mutant as probes. Several genes were dramatically up- or downregulated in the mutant. Among them are genes involved in N- and C-catabolism, and in transcriptional and translation control. Some of these genes are also under AREA control. Treatment with the GS inhibitor l-methionine sulphoximine resulted in similar expression patterns as in the glnA mutant with ammonium as nitrogen source, whereas glutamine can overcome the up- or downregulation of most but not all of the target genes. These findings suggest that not only glutamine, but also GS itself might play an important role in nitrogen metabolite repression.

Gibberellin biosynthesis in fungi: genes, enzymes, evolution, and impact on biotechnology

Gibberellins (GAs) constitute a large family of tetracyclic diterpenoid carboxylic acids, some members of which function as growth hormones in higher plants. As well as being phytohormones, GAs are also present in some fungi and bacteria. In recent years, GA biosynthetic genes from Fusarium fujikuroi and Arabidopsis thaliana have been cloned and well characterised. Although higher plants and the fungus both produce structurally identical GAs, there are important differences indicating that GA biosynthetic pathways have evolved independently in higher plants and fungi. The fact that horizontal gene transfer of GA genes from the plant to the fungus can be excluded, and that GA genes are obviously missing in closely related Fusarium species, raises the question of the origin of fungal GA biosynthetic genes. Besides characterisation of F. fujikuroi GA pathway genes, much progress has been made in the molecular analysis of regulatory mechanisms, especially the nitrogen metabolite repression controlling fungal GA biosynthesis. Basic research in this field has been shown to have an impact on biotechnology. Cloning of genes, construction of knock-out mutants, gene amplification, and regulation studies at the molecular level are powerful tools for improvement of production strains. Besides increased yields of the final product, GA3, it is now possible to produce intermediates of the GA biosynthetic pathway, such as ent-kaurene, ent-kaurenoic acid, and GA14, in high amounts using different knock-out mutants. This review concentrates mainly on the fungal biosynthetic pathway, the genes and enzymes involved, the regulation network, the biotechnological relevance of recent studies, and on evolutionary aspects of GA biosynthetic genes.

AREA directly mediates nitrogen regulation of gibberellin biosynthesis in Gibberella fujikuroi, but its activity is not affected by NMR

AREA (NIT2) is a general transcription factor involved in derepression of numerous genes responsible for nitrogen utilization in Gibberella fujikuroi and many other fungi. We have previously shown that the deletion of areA-GF resulted in mutants with significantly reduced gibberellin (GA) production. Here we demonstrate that the expression level of six of the seven GA biosynthesis genes is drastically reduced in mutants lacking areA. Furthermore, we show that, despite the fact that GAs are nitrogen-free diterpenoid compounds, which are not obviously involved in nitrogen metabolism, AREA binds directly to the promoters of the six N-regulated genes. The binding of AREA was analysed in more detail using the promoter of one of the GA-biosynthesis genes encoding the ent-kaurene oxidase (P450-4). Deletion/mutation analysis of the P450-4 promoter fused to the Escherichia coli uidA gene, which encodes beta-glucuronidase, allowed the in vivo identification of functional GATA motifs. We have also analysed the nmr gene of G. fujikuroi (nmr-GF) which has high similarity to the Neurospora crassa nmr-1 and Aspergillus nidulans nmrA genes, both involved in nitrogen metabolite repression. In contrast to our expectation, deletion of nmr-GF did not result in significant derepression of the GA biosynthesis genes in the presence of ammonium, glutamine or glutamate. Overexpression of the nmr-GF gene fused to the strong promoter of the G. fujikuroi glutamine synthetase (gs) gene revealed only a very slight repression of the nitrate reductase (niaD) gene, resulting in weak resistance to chlorate. Surprisingly, this effect was only observed in the presence of high amounts of glutamate; cultivation on ammonium failed to induce any resistance to chlorate. Despite the limited effect of gene replacement and overexpression of nmr-GF on the nitrogen metabolism of G. fujikuroi itself, the gene fully restored nitrogen metabolite repression in A. nidulans and N. crassa nmr mutants. Therefore, we postulate that, in contrast to A. nidulans and N. crassa, NMR does not function independently as the main modulator of AREA in G. fujikuroi.

The polyketide synthase gene pks4 from Gibberella fujikuroi encodes a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of the red pigment bikaverin

The ascomycete Gibberella fujikuroi mating population C (MP-C) is well known for the production of gibberellins, but also produces many other secondary metabolites, including the red polyketide pigment bikaverin. Here, we used a differential display method to clone a polyketide synthase gene pks4 responsible for the first step of bikaverin biosynthesis. Sequence analysis indicated that pks4 encoded a 2009-amino acid polypeptide consisting of four functional domains: beta-ketoacyl synthase (KS), acyltransferase (AT), acyl carrier (ACP), and thioesterase (TE). Disruption of pks4 resulted in the loss of both pks4 transcripts and bikaverin biosynthesis in G. fujikuroi cultures. Expression of pks4 is strongly repressed by high amounts of ammonium and basic pH. Unexpectedly, pks4 was overexpressed in mutants of the regulatory gene, areA, which is responsible for the activation of nitrogen assimilation genes. Three additional polyketide synthase genes have been cloned from G. fujikuroi MP-C by heterologous hybridization. The presence of these four PKS genes demonstrates the diversity of polyketide biosynthetic pathways in this fungus.

The structure of the negative transcriptional regulator NmrA reveals a structural superfamily which includes the short-chain dehydrogenase/reductases

NmrA is a negative transcriptional regulator involved in the post-translational modulation of the GATA-type transcription factor AreA, forming part of a system controlling nitrogen metabolite repression in various fungi. X-ray structures of two NmrA crystal forms, both to 1.8 A resolution, show NmrA consists of two domains, including a Rossmann fold. NmrA shows an unexpected similarity to the short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR) family, with the closest relationship to UDP-galactose 4-epimerase. We show that NAD binds to NmrA, a previously unreported nucleotide binding property for this protein. NmrA is unlikely to be an active dehydrogenase, however, as the conserved catalytic tyrosine in SDRs is absent in NmrA, and thus the nucleotide binding to NmrA could have a regulatory function. Our results suggest that other transcription factors possess the SDR fold with functions including RNA binding. The SDR fold appears to have been adapted for other roles including non-enzymatic control functions such as transcriptional regulation and is likely to be more widespread than previously recognized.

Characterization of the Aspergillus nidulans nmrA gene involved in nitrogen metabolite repression

The gene nmrA of Aspergillus nidulans has been isolated and found to be a homolog of the Neurospora crassa gene nmr-1, involved in nitrogen metabolite repression. Deletion of nmrA results in partial derepression of activities subject to nitrogen repression similar to phenotypes observed for certain mutations in the positively acting areA gene.

Rolling-circle plasmids from Bacillus subtilis: complete nucleotide sequences and analyses of genes of pTA1015, pTA1040, pTA1050 and pTA1060, and comparisons with related plasmids from gram-positive bacteria

Most small plasmids of Gram-positive bacteria use the rolling-circle mechanism of replication and several of these have been studied in considerable detail at the DNA level and for the function of their genes. Although most of the common laboratory Bacillus subtilis 168 strains do not contain plasmids, several industrial strains and natural soil isolates do contain rolling-circle replicating (RCR) plasmids. So far, knowledge about these plasmids was mainly limited to: (i) a classification into seven groups, based on size and restriction patterns; and (ii) DNA sequences of the replication region of a limited number of them. To increase the knowledge, also with respect to other functions specified by these plasmids, we have determined the complete DNA sequence of four plasmids, representing different groups, and performed computer-assisted and experimental analyses on the possible function of their genes. The plasmids analyzed are pTA1015 (5.8 kbp), pTA1040 (7.8 kbp), pTA1050 (8.4 kbp), and pTA1060 (8.7 kbp). These plasmids have a structural organization similar to most other known RCR plasmids. They contain highly related replication functions, both for leading and lagging strand synthesis. pTA1015 and pTA1060 contain a mobilization gene enabling their conjugative transfer. Strikingly, in addition to the conserved replication modules, these plasmids contain unique module(s) with genes which are not present on known RCR plasmids of other Gram-positive bacteria. Examples are genes encoding a type I signal peptidase and genes encoding proteins belonging to the family of response regulator aspartate phosphatases. The latter are likely to be involved in the regulation of post-exponential phase processes. The presence of these modules on plasmids may reflect an adaptation to the special conditions to which the host cells were exposed.

Isolation and characterization of two new negative regulatory mutants for nitrate assimilation in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii obtained by insertional mutagenesis

Plasmid DNA carrying either the nitrate reductase (NR) gene or the argininosuccinate lyase gene as selectable markers and the corresponding Chlamydomonas reinhardtii mutants as recipient strains have been used to isolate regulatory mutants for nitrate assimilation by insertional mutagenesis. Identification of putative regulatory mutants was based on their chlorate sensitivity in the presence of ammonium. Among 8975 transformants, two mutants, N1 and T1, were obtained. Genetic characterization of these mutants indicated that they carry recessive mutations at two different loci, named Nrg1 and Nrg2. The mutation in N1 was shown to be linked to the plasmid insertion. Two copies of the nitrate reductase plasmid, one of them truncated, were inserted in the N1 genome in inverse orientation. In addition to the chlorate sensitivity phenotype in the presence of ammonium, these mutants expressed NR, nitrite reductase and nitrate transport activities in ammonium-nitrate media. Kinetic constants for ammonium (I4C-methylammonium) transport, as well as enzymatic activities related to the ammonium-regulated metabolic pathway for xanthine utilization, were not affected in these strains. The data strongly suggest that Nrg1 and Nrg2 are regulatory genes which specifically mediate the negative control exerted by ammonium on the nitrate assimilation pathway in C. reinhardtii.

Regulation of ammonium ion assimilation enzymes in Neurospora crassa nit-2 and ms-5 mutant strains

In Neurospora crassa the nit-2 and nmr-1 (ms-5) loci represent the major control genes encoding regulatory proteins that allow the coordinated expression of various systems involved with the utilization of a secondary nitrogen source. In this paper we examined the effect of the nit-2 and ms-5 (nmr-1 locus) mutations on the regulation of the ammonium assimilation enzymes, glutamine synthetase and glutamate dehydrogenase, which are regulated by the products of these genes; however, glutamate synthase is not so regulated. Glutamine synthetase and glutamate dehydrogenase levels are also regulated by the amino nitrogen content. We present evidence that the ms-5 and glnr strains, which behave very similarly in their resistance to glutamine repression, are different and map in different loci.

Molecular cloning, characterization, and nucleotide sequence of nit-6, the structural gene for nitrite reductase in Neurospora crassa

The Neurospora crassa assimilatory nitrite reductase structural gene, nit-6, has been isolated. A cDNA library was constructed from poly(A)+ RNA isolated from Neurospora mycelia in which nitrate assimilation had been induced. This cDNA was ligated into lambda ZAP II (Stratagene) and amplified. This library was then screened with a polyclonal antibody specific for nitrite reductase. A total of six positive clones were identified. Three of the six clones were found to be identical via restriction digests, restriction fragment length polymorphism mapping, Southern hybridization, and some preliminary sequencing. One of these cDNA clones (pNiR-3) was used as a probe in Northern assays and was found to hybridize to a 3.5-kb poly(A)+ RNA whose expression is nitrate inducible and glutamine repressible in wild-type mycelia. pNiR-3 was used to probe an N. crassa genomic DNA library in phage lambda J1, and many positive clones were isolated. When five of these clones were tested for their ability to transform nit-6 mutants, one clone consistently generated many wild-type transformants. The nit-6 gene has been subcloned to generate pnit-6. The nit-6 gene has been sequenced and mapped; its deduced amino acid sequence exhibits considerable levels of homology to the sequences of Aspergillus sp. and Escherichia coli nitrite reductases. Several pnit-6 transformants have been propagated as homokaryons. These strains have been assayed for the presence of multiple copies of the nit-6 gene, as well as nitrite reductase activity.

Generation of new mutants of nmr, the negative-acting nitrogen regulatory gene of Neurospora crassa, by repeat induced mutation

The repeat induced point mutation (RIP) phenomenon has been used to generate new mutants of nmr, the negative nitrogen regulatory gene in Neurospora crassa. The wild-type nmr gene was cotransformed along with the hygromycin B resistance gene into wild-type cells by selecting for hygromycin B resistance. Following purification of primary transformants using microconidia, many chlorate-sensitive progeny were obtained from crosses to wild-type. Detailed analyses of some of the progeny revealed that we had generated authentic nmr mutants at high frequency. The polymerase chain reaction was used to amplify and clone a fragment of a mutagenized nmr copy from one of the mutants. The nucleotide sequence analysis showed that 14% of the guanine residues have been converted into adenines, resulting in numerous missense and nonsense mutations. The newly created nmr mutants were found suitable for use as host strains in transformation experiments.

Nucleotide sequence and analysis of NMR, a negative-acting regulatory gene in the nitrogen circuit of Neurospora crassa

In Neurospora the expression of a set of unlinked structural genes, which allows utilization of various nitrogen-containing compounds, is controlled by the positive-acting nit-2 gene and the negative-acting nmr gene. The nucleotide sequence of the nmr gene has been determined and a long open reading frame which encodes a putative protein of 54854 daltons has been identified. A full-length cDNA clone was obtained and its the sequence revealed that the nmr gene contains no introns. The transcriptional start and stop sites have been mapped by S1 nuclease and primer extension. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to introduce stop codons at various locations in the nmr coding region. Transformation assays showed that the proteins lacking up to 16% of the carboxyl-terminus were still functional. Homology searches showed that the nmr protein is homologous to the yeast arginine regulatory gene AR-GRII.