Summary
In Aspergillus nidulans uric acid can be produced from xanthine via purine hydroxylase I (xanthine dehydrogenase) or via the xanthine alternative pathway (Darlington and Scazzocchio, Biochem. Biophys. Acta, 166, 569–571; 1968). A mutation defective in the xanthine alternative pathway of Aspergillus nidulans is described. By combining this mutation with hxB-20 which results in complete loss of purine hydroxylase I and II activities, but which conserves cross-reacting material, it is possible to block completely uric acid production and thus investigate which are the effective in vivo inducers of three enzymes under the control of the positive regulatory gene uaY: adenine deaminase, purine hydroxylase I (measured as cross-reacting material) and urate oxidase. It is concluded that uric acid is the only effective physiological inducer, while its 2 and 8 thio-analogues serve as gratuitous inducers.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Arst, H.N., Cove, D.J.: Nitrogen metabolic repression in Aspergillus nidulans. Molec. gen. Genet. 126, 111–141 (1973)
Arst, H.N., Jr., Macdonald, D.W., Cove, D.J.: Molybdate metabolism in Aspergillus nidulans I. Mutations affecting nitrate reductase or xanthine dehydrogenase. Molec. gen. Genet. 108, 129–145 (1970)
Arst, H.N., Jr., Scazzocchio, C.: Initiator constitutive mutation with an ‘up-promoter’ effect in Aspergillus nidulans. Nature (Lond.) 254, 26–31 (1975)
Clutterbuck, A.J.: Aspergillus nidulans genetics In: Handbook of genetics. Vol. 1, pp. 447–510, (R.C. King, ed.). New York: Plenum Press 1975
Darlington, A.J.: Genetic and biochemical studies of purine degradation in Aspergillus. Ph.D. thesis, University of Cambridge, 1966
Darlington, A.J., Scazzocchio, C.: Evidence for an alternative pathway of xanthine oxidation in Aspergillus nidulans. Biochim. biophys. Acta (Amst.) 166, 569–571 (1968)
Darlington, A.J., Scazzocchio, C., Pateman, J.A.: Biochemical and genetical studies of purine breakdown in Aspergillus. Nature (Lond.) 206, 599–600 (1965)
Goa, J.: A microbiuret method for protein determination. Determination of total protein in cerebrospinal fluid. Scand. J. clin. Lab. Invest. 5, 218–222 (1953)
Hartley, M.J.: Contrasting complementation patterns in Aspergillus nidulans. Genet. Res. (Camb.) 16, 123–125 (1970)
Laurell, C.B.: Quantitative estimation of proteins by electrophoresis in agarose gel containing antibodies. Anal. Biochem. 15, 45–52 (1966)
Lewis, N.J.: Immunological and biochemical studies on the genetic determination of xanthine dehydrogenase and nitrate reductase in Aspergillus nidulans. Ph. D. thesis, University of Cambridge (1975)
Lewis, N.J., Scazzocchio, C.: The genetic control of molybdoflavo-proteins in Aspergillus nidulans: A xanthine dehydrogenase I half-molecule in cnx - mutant strains of Aspergillus nidulans. Europ. J. Biochem. 76, 441–446 (1977)
Muftic, M.K.: A new phenol-hypochlorite reaction for ammonia. Nature (Lond.) 201, 622–623 (1964)
pateman, J.A., Cove, D.J., Rever, B.M., Roberts, D.B.: A common cofactor for nitrate reductase and xanthine dehydrogenase which also regulates the synthesis of nitrate reductase. Nature (Lond.) 201, 58–60 (1964)
Scazzocchio, C.: The genetic control of molybdoflavoproteins in Aspergillus nidulans allopurinol-resistant mutants constitutive for xanthine dehydrogenase — Appendix: The induction of xanthine dehydrogenase II. Europ. J. Biochem. 36, 439–445 (1973a)
Scazzocchio, C.: The genetic control of molybdoflavoproteins in Aspergillus nidulans: Use of the NADH dehydrogenase activity associated with xanthine dehydrogenase to investigate substrate and product induction. Molec. gen. Genet. 125, 147–155 (1973b)
Scazzocchio, C.: The genetic determination of molybdoflavoproteins in Aspergillus nidulans. J. less Common Metals 36, 461–464 (1974)
Scazzocchio, C., Darlington, A.J.: The genetic control of xanthine dehydrogenase and urate oxidase synthesis in Aspergillus nidulans. Bull. Soc. Chim. biol. (Paris) 49, 1503–1508 (1967)
Scazzocchio, C., Darlington, A.J.: The induction and repression of the enzyme of purine brackdown in Aspergillus nidulans. Biochim. biophys. Acta (Amst.) 166, 557–568 (1968)
Scazzocchio, C., Gorton, D.J.: The regulation of purine breakdown. In: Genetics and physiology of Aspergillus, pp. 255–265 (Smith J.E., and Pateman, J.A. eds.). London-New York-San Franzisco: Academic Press
Scazzocchio, C., Holl, F.B., Foguelman A.I.: The genetic control of molybdoflavoproteins in Aspergillus nidulans: Allopurinol resistant mutants constitutive for xanthine dehydrogenase. Europ. J. Biochem. 36, 428–445 (1973)
Scazzocchio, C., Lycan, D., Hennigan, Taylor, E.S.: The structural gene for purine hydroxylase II of Aspergillus nidulans is adjacent to its cognate regulatory gene. Heredity (in press)
Sealy-Lewis, H., Scazzocchio, C.: Mutations of purine hydroxylase I resulting in altered specificity. Heredity (in press)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Communicated by W. Gajewski
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sealy-Lewis, H.M., Scazzocchio, C. & Lee, S. A mutation defective in the xanthine alternative pathway of Aspergillus nidulans . Molec. Gen. Genet. 164, 303–308 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00333161
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00333161