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. 2014 Oct;359(1):19-25.
doi: 10.1111/1574-6968.12555. Epub 2014 Aug 21.

Metabolism of D-galactose is dispensable for the induction of the beta-galactosidase (bgaD) and lactose permease (lacpA) genes in Aspergillus nidulans

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Metabolism of D-galactose is dispensable for the induction of the beta-galactosidase (bgaD) and lactose permease (lacpA) genes in Aspergillus nidulans

Anita Orosz et al. FEMS Microbiol Lett. 2014 Oct.

Abstract

In this study, we analyze the expression of the Aspergillus nidulans bgaD-lacpA gene couple (encoding an intracellular beta-galactosidase and a lactose permease) in the presence of D-galactose. This monosaccharide can be catabolized via alternative, independent pathways in this model organism. The inductive capabilities of intermediates of the two alternative routes of D-galactose utilization were addressed in loss-of-function mutants defective in a defined step in one of the two pathways. In a galactokinase (galE9) mutant, the cluster is strongly induced by D-galactose, suggesting that formation of Leloir pathway intermediates is not required. The expression profiles of bgaD and lacpA were similar in wild type, L-arabinitol dehydrogenase (araA1), and hexokinase (hxkA1) negative backgrounds, indicating that intermediates of the oxido-reductive pathway downstream of galactitol are not necessary either. Furthermore, bgaD-lacpA transcription was not induced in any of the tested strains when galactitol was provided as the growth substrate. An hxkA1/galE9 double mutant cannot grow on d-galactose at all, but still produced bgaD and lacpA transcripts upon transfer to d-galactose. We therefore concluded that the physiological inducer of the bgaD-lacpA gene cluster upon growth on D-galactose is the nonmetabolized sugar itself.

Keywords: Aspergillus nidulans; Leloir pathway; beta-galactosidase; d-galactose; lactose permease; oxido-reductive pathway.

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