title: The transition metal chelator nicotianamine is synthesized by filamentous fungi.
abstract: Nicotianamine is an important metal ligand in plants. Surprisingly, recent genome sequencing revealed that ascomycetes encode proteins with similarity to plant nicotianamine synthases (NAS). By expression in a Zn2+-hypersensitive fission yeast mutant we show for a protein from Neurospora crassa that it indeed possesses NAS activity. Using electrospray-ionization-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry we prove the formation of nicotianamine in N. crassa. Transcript level is strongly upregulated under Zn deficiency as shown by real-time PCR. These findings demonstrate that nicotianamine is more widespread in nature than anticipated and provide further evidence for a function of nicotianamine as a cytosolic chelator of Zn2+ ions.
authors: Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Weinberg 3, 06120 Halle/Saale, Germany.
authors: Aleksandra
authors: A
authors: Trampczynska
authors: Christoph
authors: C
authors: Böttcher
authors: Stephan
authors: S
authors: Clemens