Skip to main content
Journal of Bacteriology logoLink to Journal of Bacteriology
. 1977 Sep;131(3):719–725. doi: 10.1128/jb.131.3.719-725.1977

Nitrogen regulation of arginase in Neurospora crassa.

G Vaca, J Mora
PMCID: PMC235521  PMID: 142762

Abstract

The final products of the arginine catabolism that can be utilized as a nitrogen source in Neurospora crassa are ammonium, glutamic acid, and glutamine. The effect of these compounds on arginase induction by arginine was studied. In wild-type strain 74-A, induction by arginine was almost completely repressed by glutamic acid plus ammonium, whereas ammonium or glutamic acid alone had only moderate effects. Arginine products of catabolism also repressed arginase induction. A mutant, ure-1, which lacks urease activity, hyperinduced its arginase with arginine as a nitrogen source. The addition of either ammonium or glutamine produced effects similar to those in the wild-type strain. The effect of ammonium on arginase induction is mediated through its conversion into glutamine. This was demonstrated in mutant am-1, which lacks L-glutamate dehydrogenase activity. In this mutant, the effect of glutamic acid was reduced, and, with ammonium, it was completely lost. The addition of glutamine or glutamic acid plus ammonium to this strain decreased by threefold the induction of arginase by arginine. Proline, a final product of arginine catabolism, competitively inhibited arginase activity. This effect and the repression of arginase by glutamine are examples of negative modulation of the first enzyme in a catabolic pathway by its final products.

Full text

PDF
719

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Arst H. N., Jr, Cove D. J. Nitrogen metabolite repression in Aspergillus nidulans. Mol Gen Genet. 1973 Nov 2;126(2):111–141. doi: 10.1007/BF00330988. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bossinger J., Cooper T. Possible failure of NADP-glutamate dehydrogenase to participate directly in nitrogen repression of the allantoin degradative enzymes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1975 Oct 6;66(3):889–892. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(75)90723-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Castañeda M., Martuscelli J., Mora J. The catabolism of L-arginine by Neurospora crassa. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1967 Jul 25;141(2):276–286. doi: 10.1016/0304-4165(67)90102-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Davis R. H., Lawless M. B., Port L. A. Arginaseless Neurospora: genetics, physiology, and polyamine synthesis. J Bacteriol. 1970 May;102(2):299–305. doi: 10.1128/jb.102.2.299-305.1970. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Davis R. H., Mora J. Mutants of Neurospora crassa deficient in ornithine-delta-transmainase. J Bacteriol. 1968 Aug;96(2):383–388. doi: 10.1128/jb.96.2.383-388.1968. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Davis R. H. Utilization of exogenous and endogenous ornithine by Neurospora crassa. J Bacteriol. 1968 Aug;96(2):389–395. doi: 10.1128/jb.96.2.389-395.1968. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Dubois E., Grenson M., Wiame J. M. Release of the "ammonia effect" on three catabolic enzymes by NADP-specific glutamate dehydrogenaseless mutations in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1973 Feb 20;50(4):967–972. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(73)91500-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Ferguson A. R., Sims A. P. The regulation of glutamine metabolism in Candida utilis: the role of glutamine in the control of glutamine synthetase. J Gen Microbiol. 1974 Jan;80(1):159–171. doi: 10.1099/00221287-80-1-159. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. HESS J., KITO E., MARTIN R. P., VAN PILSUM J. F. Determination of creatine, creatinine, arginine, guanidinoacetic acid, guanidine, and methylguanidine in biological fluids. J Biol Chem. 1956 Sep;222(1):225–235. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Hynes M. J. Effects of ammonium, L-glutamate, and L-glutamine on nitrogen catabolism in Aspergillus nidulans. J Bacteriol. 1974 Dec;120(3):1116–1123. doi: 10.1128/jb.120.3.1116-1123.1974. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Kolmark H. G. Urease defective mutants in Neurospora crassa. Mol Gen Genet. 1969 Jul 3;104(3):219–234. doi: 10.1007/BF02539286. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. LOWRY O. H., ROSEBROUGH N. J., FARR A. L., RANDALL R. J. Protein measurement with the Folin phenol reagent. J Biol Chem. 1951 Nov;193(1):265–275. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Mora J., Salceda R., Sanchez S. Regulation of arginase activity by intermediates of the arginine biosynthetic pathway in Neurospora crassa. J Bacteriol. 1972 Jun;110(3):870–877. doi: 10.1128/jb.110.3.870-877.1972. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Mora J., Tarrab R., Bojalil L. F. On the structure and function of different arginases. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1966 Apr 12;118(1):206–209. doi: 10.1016/s0926-6593(66)80161-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Pall M. L. Amino acid transport in Neurospora crassa. I. Properties of two amino acid transport systems. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1969 Jan 28;173(1):113–127. doi: 10.1016/0005-2736(69)90042-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Pall M. L. Amino acid transport in Neurospora crassa. II. Properties of a basic amino acid transport system. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1970 Mar 17;203(1):139–149. doi: 10.1016/0005-2736(70)90044-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Pateman J. A., Kinghorn J. R., Dunn E., Forbes E. Ammonium regulation in Aspergillus nidulans. J Bacteriol. 1973 Jun;114(3):943–950. doi: 10.1128/jb.114.3.943-950.1973. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Reinert W. R., Marzluf G. A. Regulation of the purine catabolic enzymes in Neurospora crassa. Arch Biochem Biophys. 1975 Feb;166(2):565–574. doi: 10.1016/0003-9861(75)90421-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Roon R. J., Larimore F., Levy J. S. Inhibition of amino acid transport by ammonium ion in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. J Bacteriol. 1975 Oct;124(1):325–331. doi: 10.1128/jb.124.1.325-331.1975. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Sanchez S., Martinez L., Mora J. Interactions between amino acid transport systems in Neurospora crassa. J Bacteriol. 1972 Oct;112(1):276–284. doi: 10.1128/jb.112.1.276-284.1972. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Sumrada R., Cooper T. Basic amino acid inhibition of growth in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1976 Jan 26;68(2):598–602. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(76)91187-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. van de Poll K. W. Ammonium repression in a mutant of Saccharomyces carlsbergensis lacking NADP dependent glutamate dehydrogenase activity. FEBS Lett. 1973 Jun 1;32(2):265–266. doi: 10.1016/0014-5793(73)80848-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Bacteriology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES