title: AcpA, a member of the GPR1/FUN34/YaaH membrane protein family, is essential for acetate permease activity in the hyphal fungus Aspergillus nidulans.
abstract: In a previous study, alcS, a gene of the Aspergillus nidulans alc cluster, was shown to encode a protein that belongs to the GPR1/FUN34/YaaH membrane protein family. BLAST screening of the A. nidulans genome data identified additional genes encoding hypothetical proteins that could belong to this family. In this study we report the functional characterization of one of them, AN5226. Its expression is induced by ethanol and ethyl acetate (two inducers of the alc genes) and is mediated by the specific transcriptional activator of genes of the acetate-utilization pathway FacB. Growth of a null mutant (DeltaAN5226) is notably affected when acetate is used as sole carbon source at low concentration and in a high pH medium, i.e. when protonated acetate, the form that can enter the cell by passive diffusion, is present in low amounts. Consistently, expression of AN5226 is also induced by acetate, but only when the latter is present at low concentrations. (14)C-labelled acetate uptake experiments using germinating conidia demonstrate an essential role for AN5226 in mediated acetate transport. To our knowledge this report is the first to provide evidence for the identification of an acetate transporter in filamentous fungi. We have designated AN5226 as acpA (for acetate permease A).
authors.affiliation: Institut de Génétique et Microbiologie, Unité Mixte de Recherche 8621, CNRS - Université Paris-Sud XI, Centre Scientifique d'Orsay, Bâtiment 360, F-91405 Orsay Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Robellet
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Flipphi
authors.forename: Sylvine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pégot
authors.forename: Andrew P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Maccabe
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vélot
mesh_terms: D000085:Acetates / Q000378:metabolism*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001233:Aspergillus nidulans / Q000378:metabolism*; D001483:Base Sequence; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D010802:Phylogeny; D019346:Sodium Acetate / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D000085:Acetates; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D019346:Sodium Acetate