title: Two distinct protein-protein interactions between the NIT2 and NMR regulatory proteins are required to establish nitrogen metabolite repression in Neurospora crassa.
abstract: Nitrogen metabolism is a highly regulated process in Neurospora crassa. The structural genes that encode nitrogen catabolic enzymes are subject to nitrogen metabolite repression, mediated by the positive-acting NIT2 protein and by the negative-acting NMR protein. NIT2, a globally acting factor, is a member of the GATA family of regulatory proteins and has a single Cys2/Cys2 zinc finger DNA-binding domain. The negative-acting NMR protein interacts via specific protein-protein binding with two distinct regions of the NIT2 protein, a short alpha-helical motif within the NIT2 DNA-binding domain and a second motif at its carboxy terminus. Deletions of segments of NIT2 throughout most of its length result in truncated proteins, which are still functional for activating gene expression; most of these mutant NIT2 proteins still allow proper nitrogen repression of nitrate reductase synthesis. In contrast, deletions or certain amino acid substitutions within the zinc finger and the carboxy-terminal tail result in a loss of nitrogen metabolite repression. Those mutated forms of NIT2 that are insensitive to nitrogen repression have also lost one of the NIT2-NMR protein-protein interactions. These results provide compelling evidence that the specific NIT2-NMR interactions have a regulatory function and play a central role in establishing nitrogen metabolite repression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus 43210, USA.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Marzluf
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D009492:Neurospora crassa / Q000378:metabolism*; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016335:Zinc Fingers
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005656:Fungal Proteins; C068100:NIT2 protein, Neurospora crassa; C066035:NMR protein, Neurospora crassa; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D009584:Nitrogen