title: Functional characterization of the copper-transporting P-type ATPase gene of Penicillium janthinellum strain GXCR.
abstract: Copper (Cu)-transporting P-type ATPase (CTPA) genes have been documented to play an important role in resistance to heavy metals. However, our understanding of roles of CTPA genes of the filamentous fungi was based only on sequence similarity prediction before. In a previous study, we isolated a Penicillum janthinellum strain GXCR of higher tolerance to Cu (200 mM). In this study, we cloned the partial cDNA of CTPA gene, named PcpA, from the strain GXCR. Sequence alignment indicated that the cloned cDNA sequence has the highest identity (94.4%) with a predictive CTPA gene of Aspergillus clavatus. The PcpA-encoded protein, termed PcpA, has classical functional domains of CTPAs, and shows differences from reported CTPAs in some specific sequence motifs and transmembrane regions. Expression of the PcpA was induced by extracellular Cu, cadmium (Cd), and silver (Ag). PcpA RNA interference (RNAi) mutants with a reduced level of PcpA mRNA were more sensitive to Cu, iron, Cd, and Ag than the wild-type (WT) strain GXCR. When grown in the presence of Cu, iron, and Cd, intracellular Cu and iron contents in the PcpA RNAi mutant were significantly (P<0.05) lower than those in the WT; However, intracellular Cd content in the mutant was significantly (P<0.05) higher than that in the WT. Taken together, it can be concluded that the PcpA functions in Cu uptake and homeostasis, iron uptake, and Cd export from the cytosol to the extracytosol.
authors.affiliation: Guangxi Key Laboratory of Subtropical Bioresource Conservation and Utilization, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi 530005, PR China.
authors.forename: Hongmin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Changbin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Huaying
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Xianwei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Yili
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Youzhi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000378:metabolism*; D001230:Aspergillus / Q000235:genetics; D002104:Cadmium / Q000378:metabolism; D003300:Copper / Q000378:metabolism*; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D055785:Gene Knockdown Techniques; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010407:Penicillium / Q000201:enzymology*; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012834:Silver / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004271:DNA, Fungal; D002104:Cadmium; D012834:Silver; D003300:Copper; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases