Isolation and characterisation of the crnA-niiA-niaD gene cluster for nitrate assimilation in Aspergillus nidulans

Johnstone, I.L., McCabe, P.C., Greaves, P., Gurr, S.J., Cole, G.E., Brow, M.A., Unkles, S.E., Clutterbuck, A.J., Kinghorn, J.R. and Innis, M.A. (1990) Isolation and characterisation of the crnA-niiA-niaD gene cluster for nitrate assimilation in Aspergillus nidulans. Gene, 90(2), pp. 181-192. (doi: 10.1016/0378-1119(90)90178-T) (PMID:2205530)

Abstract

Genomic clones containing the entire crnA-niiA-niaD gene cluster of Aspergillus nidulans have been isolated, and the structures of the niiA and niaD genes have been determined by nucleotide sequence analysis. This gene cluster is required for the assimilation of nitrate in A. nidulans, and the three genes encode a product required for nitrate uptake and the enzymes, nitrite reductase and nitrate reductase, respectively. The putative coding sequences, as deduced by comparison to cDNA clones of both niiA and niaD, are interrupted by multiple small introns, and the two genes are divergently transcribed. Identification and characterization of specific mRNAs involved in nitrate assimilation indicates that only monocistronic transcripts are involved, and that the approximate sizes of these transcripts are 1.6 kb, 3.4 kb and 2.8 kb for crnA, niiA and niaD, respectively. The results also indicate that control of niiA and niaD gene expression is mediated by the levels of mRNA accumulation, in response to the source of nitrogen in the growth medium. Two types of transcripts for niiA were observed.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Johnstone, Professor Iain and Clutterbuck, Dr John
• Authors: Johnstone, I.L., McCabe, P.C., Greaves, P., Gurr, S.J., Cole, G.E., Brow, M.A., Unkles, S.E., Clutterbuck, A.J., Kinghorn, J.R., and Innis, M.A.
• Subjects: Q Science > QH Natural history > QH301 Biology
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Life Sciences; College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Molecular Biosciences
• Journal Name: Gene
• Publisher: Elsevier
• ISSN: 0378-1119
• ISSN (Online): 1879-0038