Skip to main content
Journal of Bacteriology logoLink to Journal of Bacteriology
. 1968 Aug;96(2):383–388. doi: 10.1128/jb.96.2.383-388.1968

Mutants of Neurospora crassa Deficient in Ornithine-δ-Transaminase

R H Davis a, J Mora a,1
PMCID: PMC252309  PMID: 5674052

Abstract

The arg-12s mutation of Neurospora causes a partial block in the ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) reaction. Strains carrying this mutation will use endogenous ornithine, but not exogenous ornithine, as a precursor of arginine. Certain strains carrying arg-12s may be used for direct selection of variants able to use exogenous ornithine as an arginine precursor. Among eight such derivatives, six lacked the catabolic enzyme ornithine transaminase (OTA). All six mutations were alleles of a single gene, designated ota, on linkage group III. No mutation affected arginase, the first enzyme in the catabolic pathway with OTA. Strains carrying ota mutations alone are vigorous prototrophs, but, unlike wild-type Neurospora, fail to use ornithine efficiently as a sole nitrogen source. The selection method by which ota mutants arose suggests that OTA is severely competitive with OTC for exogeneous ornithine.

Full text

PDF
383

Selected References

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

  1. ABELSON P. H., VOGEL H. J. Amino acid biosynthesis in Torulopsis utilis and Neurospora crassa. J Biol Chem. 1955 Mar;213(1):355–364. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. CHINARD F. P. Photometric estimation of proline and ornithine. J Biol Chem. 1952 Nov;199(1):91–95. [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 B. D. Intermediates in amino acid biosynthesis. Adv Enzymol Relat Subj Biochem. 1955;16:247–312. doi: 10.1002/9780470122617.ch5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. DAVIS R. H. A mutant form of ornithine transcarbamylase found in a strain of Neurospora carrying a pyrimidine-proline suppressor gene. Arch Biochem Biophys. 1962 Apr;97:185–191. doi: 10.1016/0003-9861(62)90063-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. DAVIS R. H. Consequences of a suppressor gene effective with pyrimidine and proline mutants of Neurospora. Genetics. 1962 Mar;47:351–360. doi: 10.1093/genetics/47.3.351. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. DAVIS R. H., THWAITES W. M. STRUCTURAL GENE FOR ORNITHINE TRANSCARBAMYLASE IN NEUROSPORA. Genetics. 1963 Nov;48:1551–1558. doi: 10.1093/genetics/48.11.1551. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. DEDEKEN R. H. BIOSYNTH'ESE DE L'ARGININE CHEZ LA LEVURE. I. LE SORT DE LA N-ALPHA-AC'ETYLORINITHINE. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1963 Dec 13;78:606–616. doi: 10.1016/0006-3002(63)91026-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. 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]
  10. FINCHAM J. R. S. Ornithine transaminase in Neurospora and its relation to the biosynthesis of proline. Biochem J. 1953 Jan;53(2):313–320. doi: 10.1042/bj0530313. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Mitchell M. B., Mitchell H. K. Observations on the Behavior of Suppressors in Neurospora. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1952 Mar;38(3):205–214. doi: 10.1073/pnas.38.3.205. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. 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]
  13. Reed D. E., Lukens L. N. Observations on the conversion of N-acetylglutamate to proline in extracts of Escherichia coli. J Biol Chem. 1966 Jan 25;241(2):264–270. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. STRECKER H. J. PURIFICATION AND PROPERTIES OF RAT LIVER ORNITHINE DELTA-TRANSAMINASE. J Biol Chem. 1965 Mar;240:1225–1230. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Vogel H. J., Bonner D. M. ON THE GLUTAMATE-PROLINE-ORNITHINE INTERRELATION IN NEUROSPORA CRASSA. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1954 Aug;40(8):688–694. doi: 10.1073/pnas.40.8.688. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES