Title
The cell wall stress response in Aspergillus niger involves increased expression of the glutamine: Fructose-6-phosphate amidotransferase-encoding gene (gfaA) and increased deposition of chitin in the cell wall
Author
Ram, A.F.J.
Arentshorst, M.
Damveld, R.A.
van Kuyk, P.A.
Klis, F.M.
van den Hondel, C.A.M.J.J.
TNO Voeding
Publication year
2004
Abstract
Perturbation of cell wall synthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, either by mutations in cell wall synthesis-related genes or by adding compounds that interfere with normal cell wall assembly, triggers a compensatory response to ensure cell wall integrity. This response includes an increase in chitin levels in the cell wall. Here it is shown that Aspergillus niger also responds to cell wall stress by increasing chitin levels. The increased chitin level in the cell wall was accompanied by increased transcription of gfaA, encoding the glutamine: fructose-6-phosphate amidotransferase enzyme, which is responsible for the first and a rate-limiting step in chitin synthesis. Cloning and disruption of the gfaA gene in A. niger showed that it was an essential gene, but that addition of glucosamine to the growth medium could rescue the deletion strain. When the plant-pathogenic fungus Fusarium oxysporum and food spoilage fungus Penicillium chrysogenum were subjected to cell wall stress, the transcript level of their gfa gene increased as well. These observations suggest that cell wall stress in fungi may generally lead to activation of the chitin biosynthetic pathway. © 2004 SGM.
Subject
Biology
Biotechnology
chitin
glucosamine
glutamine fructose 6 phosphate aminotransferase
article
Aspergillus niger
cell wall
controlled study
culture medium
deletion mutant
food spoilage
fungal cell culture
fungal strain
Fusarium oxysporum
gene disruption
genetic code
genetic transcription
molecular cloning
nonhuman
nucleotide sequence
Penicillium chrysogenum
priority journal
protein expression
protein metabolism
protein synthesis
stress
Amino Acid Sequence
Aspergillus niger
Cell Wall
Chitin
Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic
Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal
Glucosamine
Glutamine-Fructose-6-Phosphate Transaminase (Isomerizing)
Molecular Sequence Data
Phylogeny
Aspergillus
Aspergillus niger
Fungi
Fusarium
Fusarium oxysporum
Penicillium
Penicillium chrysogenum
Saccharomyces
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
To reference this document use:
http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:83936076-f171-44bc-856a-a89dfb26339d
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1099/mic.0.27249-0
TNO identifier
238018
ISSN
1350-0872
Source
Microbiology, 150 (10), 3315-3326
Document type
article