GENETICS OF ARGININE BIOSYNTHESIS IN NEUROSPORA CRASSA

1 Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92717

A large number of arginine-requiring mutants of Neurospora was isolated, using a strain already partially impaired in an enzyme of the pathway. Among the mutants, all previously described loci, except one, were represented, and several new loci were defined and mapped. Four groups of mutants were of particular interest. First, the large group of arg-6 mutants, when tested for intragenic complementation, suggested a bifunctional gene, possibly controlling two steps in ornithine synthesis. This is consistent with the limited enzymic information about this locus. Second, the arg-13 locus was represented by 14 new mutants. All five tested were quite leaky, suggesting that the function controlled by this gene can be carried out to a limited extent spontaneously or by another gene product. Third, a new locus, arg-14, was defined. It controls a step in ornithine synthesis. It lies in a 1 to 2 map-unit interval between arg-2 and pyr-3 on LG IVR, as shown by mapping in relation to translocation breakpoints. Fourth, a second new locus whose mutants render the partial mutation in starting material auxotrophic was defined and mapped near the centromere of LG VIL. These new mutants are unable to derepress enzymes of the pathway and may qualify as regulatory mutants.

Submitted on March 5, 1979
Revised on May 11, 1979




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
J BiochemHome page
H. Okano, M. Asakawa, and Y. Ohya
A Novel Mechanism of Intragenic Complementation between Phe to Ala Calmodulin Mutations
J. Biochem., March 1, 2004; 135(3): 289 - 295.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Biol. Chem.Home page
E. Sattlegger, A. G. Hinnebusch, and I. B. Barthelmess
cpc-3, the Neurospora crassa Homologue of Yeast GCN2, Encodes a Polypeptide with Juxtaposed eIF2alpha Kinase and Histidyl-tRNA Synthetase-related Domains Required for General Amino Acid Control
J. Biol. Chem., August 7, 1998; 273(32): 20404 - 20416.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]