Regulation of ammonium ion assimilation enzymes in Neurospora crassa nit-2 and ms-5 mutant strains

Abstract

In Neurospora crassa the nit-2 and nmr-1 (ms-5) loci represent the major control genes encoding regulatory proteins that allow the coordinated expression of various systems involved with the utilization of a secondary nitrogen source. In this paper we examined the effect of the nit-2 and ms-5 (nmr-1 locus) mutations on the regulation of the ammonium assimilation enzymes, glutamine synthetase and glutamate dehydrogenase, which are regulated by the products of these genes; however, glutamate synthase is not so regulated. Glutamine synthetase and glutamate dehydrogenase levels are also regulated by the amino nitrogen content. We present evidence that the ms-5 and glnr strains, which behave very similarly in their resistance to glutamine repression, are different and map in different loci.