Arginine catabolism in Aspergillus nidulans is regulated by the rrmA gene coding for the RNA-binding protein.
Expression of Aspergillus nidulans arginine catabolism genes, agaA and otaA, is regulated at the level of transcription by a specific induction and two global carbon and nitrogen repression systems. Post-transcriptional and/or post-translational mechanisms have also been proposed to operate additionally. Gene tagging with transposon impala allowed us to select the rrmA gene. RRMA protein contains three conserved RRM domains, typical for RNA-binding proteins. The gene has a complex structure with several potential transcription start sites, an exceptionally long intron in 5'UTR and few uORFs in the intron. RRMA is highly conserved among fungi. Its homologues, Csx1p of Schizosaccharomyces pombe and Ngr1p of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, participate in the post-transcriptional regulation of specific genes by modifying transcript stability. Levels of otaA and agaA transcripts in the rrmA::impala loss of function mutant grown under inducing conditions are significantly higher than in the wild type strain. We propose that RRMA participates in a mechanism promoting agaA and otaA mRNA degradation. The rrmA::impala mutation has pleiotropic character and results in a slow growth phenotype indicating that rrmA functions are not limited to the regulation of arginine catabolism.
Olszewska
Anna
A
Institute of Genetics and Biotechnology, Warsaw University, ul. Pawińskiego 5A, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland.
Król
Kinga
K
Weglenski
Piotr
P
Dzikowska
Agnieszka
A
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001119:Arginase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001120:Arginine / Q000378:metabolism*; D001233:Aspergillus nidulans / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D008954:Models, Biological; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D009952:Ornithine / Q000378:metabolism; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D005656:Fungal Proteins; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D001120:Arginine; D009952:Ornithine; D001119:Arginase