Cis-dominant regulatory mutations affecting the expression of GABA permease in Aspergillus nidulans

Abstract

In Aspergillus nidulans expression of the gabA gene, the probable structural gene for the gamma-amino-n-butyrate (GABA) permease, is controlled by induction, via the intA gene, ammonium repression, mediated by the areA gene, and probably carbon catabolite repression. Regulatory mutations, tightly linked to gabA, were selected by reverting an areAr-2 strain on GABA as nitrogen source. These mutations, gabI-1, gabI-2, and gabI-3 result in increased gabA expression and are cis-dominant in their effects on the gabA gene. Mapping data show that the regulatory mutations map on one side of all gabA- alleles tested.