title: crnA encodes a nitrate transporter in Aspergillus nidulans.
abstract: The nucleotide sequence of the Aspergillus nidulans crnA gene for the transport of the anion nitrate has been determined. The crnA gene specifies a predicted polypeptide of 483 amino acids (molecular weight 51,769). A hydropathy plot suggests that this polypeptide has 10 membrane-spanning helices with an extensive hydrophilic region between helices six and seven. No striking homology was observed between the crnA protein and other reported membrane proteins of either prokaryotic or eukaryotic organisms, indicating that the crnA transporter may represent another class of membrane protein. Northern blotting results with wild-type cells show that (i) control of crnA expression is subject to nitrate (and nitrite) induction as well as nitrogen metabolite repression and (ii) regulation of the crnA gene is exerted at the level of mRNA accumulation, most likely at transcription, in response to the nitrogen source in the growth medium. Furthermore, similar studies with mutants of nirA and areA control genes and the niaD nitrate reductase structural gene show that crnA expression is mediated by the products of nirA (nitrate induction control gene), areA (nitrogen metabolite repression control gene), and niaD (involved in autoregulation of nitrate reductase).
authors.affiliation: Plant Molecular Genetics Unit, University of St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Unkles
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Hawker
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Grieve
authors.forename: E I
authors.initials: EI
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Montague
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Kinghorn
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D027321:Anion Transport Proteins; D001233:Aspergillus nidulans / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D008961:Models, Structural; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D000091285:Nitrate Transporters; D009566:Nitrates / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D010957:Plasmids; D011487:Protein Conformation; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D027321:Anion Transport Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D004271:DNA, Fungal; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D000091285:Nitrate Transporters; D009566:Nitrates