Identification of the mstE Gene Encoding a Glucose-inducible, Low Affinity Glucose Transporter in Aspergillus nidulans

The mstE gene encoding a low affinity glucose transporter active during the germination of Aspergillus nidulans conidia on glucose medium has been identified. mstE expression also occurs in hyphae, is induced in the presence of other repressing carbon sources besides glucose, and is dependent on the function of the transcriptional repressor CreA. The expression of MstE and its subcellular distribution have been studied using a MstE-sGFP fusion protein. Concordant with data on mstE expression, MstE-sGFP is synthesized in the presence of repressing carbon sources, and fluorescence at the periphery of conidia and hyphae is consistent with MstE location in the plasma membrane. Deletion of mstE …

Questions linger over European GM food regulations

Glucose uptake in germinating Aspergillus nidulans conidia: involvement of the creA and sorA genes

d-Glucose uptake in germinating wild-typeAspergillus nidulansconidia is an energy-requiring process mediated by at least two transport systems of differing affinities for glucose: a low-affinity system (Km∼1·4 mM) and a high-affinity system (Km∼16 μM). The low-affinity system is inducible by glucose; the high-affinity system is subject to glucose repression effected by the carbon catabolite repressor CreA and is absent insorA3mutant conidia, which exhibit resistance tol-sorbose toxicity. An intermediate-affinity system (Km∼400 μM) is present insorA3conidia germinating in derepressing conditions.creAderepressed mutants show enhanced sensitivity tol-sorbose. The high-affinity uptake system ap…