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J A Pateman

Publications and source records attributed to J A Pateman.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

In vivo and in vitro studies of nitrate reductase regulation in Asperillus nidulans.

Induced wildtype cells of A. nidulans rapidly lost NADPH--linked nitrate reductase activity when subjected to carbon and or nitrogen starvation. A constitutive mutant at the regulatory gene for nitrate reductase, nir Ac 1, rapidly lost nitrate reductase activity upon carbon starvation. This loss of activity is thought to be due to a decrease in the NADPH concentration in the cells. Cell free extracts from wildtype cells grown in the presence of nitrate, rapidly lost their nitrate reductase activity when incubated at 25 degrees C. NADPH prevented this loss of activity. Wildtype cells grown in the presence of nitrate and urea have a higher initial NADPH:NADP+ ratio and cell free extracts from such cells lost their nitrate reductase activity slower than extracts of cells grown with nitrate alone. The Pentose Phosphate Pathway mutant, pppB-1, had a lower NADPH concentration compared with the wildtype grown under the same conditions and cell free extracts lost their nitrate reductase activity more rapidly than the wildtype. Cell free extracts of nirAc-1 and a non-inducible mutant for nitrate reductase, nirA- -14, upon incubation lost little of their nitrate reductase activity.

Aspergillus nidulans↗

Mutants of Aspergillus nidulans lacking nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-specific glutamate dehydrogenase.

Ten mutants of Aspergillus nidulans lacking nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-specific glutamate dehydrogenase (NAD-GDH) have been isolated, and their mutations (gdhB1 through gdhB10) have been shown to lie in the gdhB gene. In addition, a temperature-sensitive gdhB mutant (gdhB11) has been isolated. A revertant (designated R-5) of the mutant gdhB1 bears an additional lesion in the gdhB gene and has altered NAD-GDH activity with altered Km values for ammonia or ammonium ions and for alpha-ketoglutarate. These results suggest that gdhB specifies a structural component for NAD-GDH. The growth characteristics of gdhB mutants indicate the routes by which amino acids are utilized as nitrogen and carbon energy sources. The properties are described of the double mutants bearing the mutations gdhB1 and gdhA1 or tamA119, which have low NADP-GDH activity.

Amino Acids↗

Studies of partially repressed mutants at the tamA and areA loci in Aspergillus nidulans.

Mutants, designated tamAr, have been isolated on the basis of simultaneous resistance to toxic analogues thiourea, aspartate hydroxamate and chlorate with L-alanine as the sole nitrogen source. tamAr mutants are also resistant to methylammonium. This resistance of tamAr mutants is correlated with partially repressed activity of a number of enzyme and transport systems regulated by ammonium. Furthermore, tam-Ar mutants have low NADP-glutamate dehydrogenase (NADP-GDH) activity and also efflux ammonium under certain growth conditions. Mutants at the areA locus (areAr) have also been isolated on the basis of resistance to these analogues, with nitrate or L-aspartate as the nitrogen source. These, similar to tamAr lesions, result in resistance to methylammonium and are partially repressed for ammonium repressible system, but in contrast to tamAr, areAr alleles have wild-type NADP-GDH activity and normal ammonium efflux. tamAr and areAr mutants grow as wild type on all nitrogen or carbon sources tested, are recessive, and appear to be epistatic to all other mutations (gdhA1, meaA8 and meaB6) which result in derepressed levels of ammonium regulated system. Whereas tamAr and areAr phenotypes are additive, tamAr is epistatic to areAd phenotype.

Aspartic Acid↗

Mutations which affect amino acid transport in Aspergillus nidulans.

Mutants deficient in amino acid transport (aau), and unable to utilize L-glutamate as a sole carbon and nitrogen source, have been isolated. There are four unlinked genes involved: aauA, aauB, aauC and aauD. The transport levels of certain amino acids, and the growth characteristics on certain nitrogen and carbon sources and toxic amino acid analogues, indicate that: aauAI has defective transport of acidic amino acids; aauBI has defective transport of acidic and neutral amino acids; aauCI and aauDI have defective transport of acid, neutral and aromatic amino acids. aauAI and aauBI are recessive for all three characteristics in the heterozygous diploid; aauCI and aauDI are dominant.

Alanine↗

The structural gene for NADP L-glutamate dehydrogenase in Aspergillus nidulans.

A total of 41 mutants lacking NADP L-glutamate dehydrogenase (NADP-GDH) activity have been studied. All the mutations were located at the gdhA locus within 0-1% recombination of gdhAI. Two mutants, gdhAI and gdhA2, out of five examined, produced cross-reacting material which neutralized NADP-GDH anti-serum. The mutant gdhA9 has altered Km values for all five substrates: ammonium, alpha-ketoglutarate, l-glutamate, NADPH and NADP. The mutant gdhA20 had temperature-sensitive growth, abnormal ammonium-regulation characteristics and thermolabile NADP-GDH activity. These results show that gdhA is the structural gene for NADP-GDH.

Aldehyde Oxidoreductases↗

Regulatory aspects of L-glutamate transport in Aspergillus nidulans.

Wild-type cells of Aspergillus nidulans synthesize a transport system which appears to be specific for l-glutamate and l-aspartate. The system is energy dependent and concentrates l-glutamate at least 60-fold. In cells grown in the presence of 1% sucrose, l-glutamate uptake activity is regulated by ammonium control, although it is not certain whether this is at the level of transcription or translation. Mutants that are insensitive to ammonium control of certain other unrelated systems, e.g., nitrate reductase, are also insensitive, except in the case of one class of ammonium-insensitive mutants, to ammonium control of l-glutamate transport. The activity of this transport system is specifically impaired in a mutant at the aauA locus. This mutation results in poor growth with l-glutamate or l-aspartate as the sole carbon or nitrogen source and is recessive in the heterozygous diploid aauA1/+ for transport and growth characteristics. The likelihood that the mutation results in a defect of the transport mechanism rather than abnormal ammonium control is discussed.

Amino Acids↗

Ammonium regulation in Aspergillus nidulans.

l-Glutamate uptake, thiourea uptake, and methylammonium uptake and the intracellular ammonium concentration were measured in wild-type and mutant cells of Aspergillus nidulans held in various concentrations of ammonium and urea. The levels of l-glutamate uptake, thiourea uptake, nitrate reductase, and hypoxanthine dehydrogenase activity are determined by the extracellular ammonium concentration. The level of methylammonium uptake is determined by the intracellular ammonium concentration. The uptake and enzyme characteristics of the ammonium-derepressed mutants, meaA8, meaB6, DER3, amrA1, xprD1, and gdhA1, are described. The gdhA mutants lack normal nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-glutamate dehydrogenase (NADP-GDH) activity and are derepressed with respect to both external and internal ammonium. The other mutant classes are derepressed only with respect to external ammonium. The mutants meaA8, DER3, amrA1, and xprD1 have low levels of one or more of the l-glutamate, thiourea, and methylammonium uptake systems. A model for ammonium regulation in A. nidulans is put forward which suggests: (i) NADP-GDH located in the cell membrane complexes with extracellular ammonium. This first regulatory complex determines the level of l-glutamate uptake, thiourea uptake, nitrate reductase, and xanthine dehydrogenase by repression or inhibition, or both. (ii) NADP-GDH also complexes with intracellular ammonium. This second and different form of regulatory complex determines the level of methylammonium uptake by repression or inhibition, or both.

Aspergillus↗

Regulation of synthesis of glutamate dehydrogenase and glutamine synthetase in micro-organisms.

1. Aspergillus nidulans, Neurospora crassa and Escherichia coli were grown on media containing a range of concentrations of nitrate, or ammonia, or urea, or l-glutamate, or l-glutamine as the sole source of nitrogen and the glutamate dehydrogenate and glutamine synthetase of the cells measured. 2. Aspergillus, Neurospora and Escherichia coli cells, grown on l-glutamate or on high concentrations of ammonia or on high concentrations of urea, possessed low glutamate dehydrogenase activity compared with cells grown on other nitrogen sources. 3. Aspergillus, Neurospora and Escherichia coli cells grown on l-glutamate possessed high glutamine synthetase activity compared with cells grown on other nitrogen sources. 4. The hypothesis is proposed that in Aspergillus, Neurospora and Escherichia colil-glutamate represses the synthesis of glutamate dehydrogenase and l-glutamine represses the synthesis of glutamine synthetase. 5. A comparison of the glutamine-synthesizing activity and the gamma-glutamyltransferase activity of glutamine synthetase in Aspergillus and Neurospora gave no indication that these fungi produce different forms of glutamine synthetase when grown on ammonia or l-glutamate as nitrogen sources.

Ammonia↗