title: Isolation of UV-induced mutations in the areA nitrogen regulatory gene of Aspergillus niger, and construction of a disruption mutant.
abstract: The areA gene of filamentous fungi encodes a positive-acting transcriptional factor required for the expression of genes involved in the utilisation of nitrogen sources other than ammonium and glutamine. In Aspergillus niger we have isolated three UV-induced areA mutants and constructed a well-defined disruption allele of the areA gene. The areA gene was genetically localised on Linkage Group III, 3.6 map units (m.u.) from bioA1 and 4.5 m.u. from lysA7. Analysis of the expression of the nitrate reductase encoding gene and of nitrate reductase activities show that the mutated areA strains behave as loss-of-function mutants and can be classified as areAr type. In addition, growth tests were performed using several nitrogen sources in combination with glucose. The results suggest that, unlike the case in A. nidulans, in A. niger the AreA protein also plays a role in the presence of ammonium. Furthermore, the spectrum of protease activities secreted by A. niger differs from that produced by A. nidulans, as only A. niger is able to degrade elastin.
authors.affiliation: Université Joseph Fourier, Institut Albert Bonniot, Domaine de la Merci, La Tronche, France. francois.lenouvel@ujf-grenoble.fr
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lenouvel
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fraissinet-Tachet
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: van de Vondervoort
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Visser
mesh_terms: D001234:Aspergillus niger / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D005809:Genes, Regulator; D016296:Mutagenesis; D009154:Mutation; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D016335:Zinc Fingers
chemical_list: C079728:AreA protein, Aspergillus nidulans; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D009584:Nitrogen