Denitrification by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum involves NADH-nitrate reductase.
Fusarium oxysporum JCM11502 expresses a denitrifying (nitrate (NO(3)(-))-respiring) mechanism and can thrive under oxygen (O(2)) limitation. The fungus reduces NO(3)(-) to nitrite at the initial step of denitrification. In this study, we cloned the gene coding NADH-NO(3)(-) reductase (NADH-Nar) (niaD) from F. oxysporum JCM11502. The niaD gene complemented the defective NO(3)(-) assimilation by mutant strain M10, indicating that the fungus reduced NO(3)(-) through NADH-Nar activity and assimilated it like other fungi. We found that the transcription of niaD and the production of NADH-Nar activity were enhanced under O(2)-limited denitrifying conditions relative to aerobic conditions. Strain M10 produced less NADH-Nar activity and less denitrified product than the wild-type strain. Introducing niaD into the mutant also restored these defects, indicating that niaD is involved in denitrification. These results indicate that the fungus denitrified NO(3)(-) through NADH-Nar activity in addition to the ubiquinol-Nar mechanism.
Fujii
Tatsuya
T
Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan.
Takaya
Naoki
N
D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D005670:Fusarium / Q000378:metabolism*; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D009154:Mutation; D050895:Nitrate Reductase (NADH) / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009566:Nitrates / Q000378:metabolism*; D010957:Plasmids; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D009566:Nitrates; D050895:Nitrate Reductase (NADH)