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Two divergent catalase genes are differentially regulated during Aspergillus nidulans development and oxidative stress.

ABSTRACT: Catalases are ubiquitous hydrogen peroxide-detoxifying enzymes that are central to the cellular antioxidant response. Of two catalase activities detected in the fungus Aspergillus nidulans, the catA gene encodes the spore-specific catalase A (CatA). Here we characterize a second catalase gene, identified after probing a genomic library with catA, and demonstrate that it encodes catalase B. This gene, designated catB, predicts a 721-amino-acid polypeptide (CatB) showing 78% identity to an Aspergillus fumigatus catalase and 61% identity to Aspergillus niger CatR. Notably, similar levels of identity are found when comparing CatB to Escherichia coli catalase HPII (43%), A. nidulans CatA (40%), and the predicted peptide of a presumed catA homolog from A. fumigatus (38%). In contrast, the last two peptides share a 79% identity. The catalase B activity was barely detectable in asexual spores (conidia), disappeared after germination, and started to accumulate 10 h after spore inoculation, throughout growth and conidiation. The catB mRNA was absent from conidia, and its accumulation correlated with catalase activity, suggesting that catB expression is regulated at the transcription level. In contrast, the high CatA activity found in spores was lost gradually during germination and growth. In addition to its developmental regulation, CatB was induced by H2O2, heat shock, paraquat, or uric acid catabolism but not by osmotic stress. This pattern of regulation and the protective role against H2O2 offered by CatA and CatB, at different stages of the A. nidulans life cycle, suggest that catalase gene redundancy performs the function of satisfying catalase demand at the two different stages of metabolic and genetic regulation represented by growing hyphae versus spores. Alternative H2O2 detoxification pathways in A. nidulans were indicated by the fact that catA/catB double mutants were able to grow in substrates whose catabolism generates H2O2.

SUBMITTER: Kawasaki L

PROVIDER: S-EPMC179108 | biostudies-other | 1997 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Two divergent catalase genes are differentially regulated during Aspergillus nidulans development and oxidative stress.

Kawasaki L L Wysong D D Diamond R R Aguirre J J

Journal of bacteriology 19970501 10

Catalases are ubiquitous hydrogen peroxide-detoxifying enzymes that are central to the cellular antioxidant response. Of two catalase activities detected in the fungus Aspergillus nidulans, the catA gene encodes the spore-specific catalase A (CatA). Here we characterize a second catalase gene, identified after probing a genomic library with catA, and demonstrate that it encodes catalase B. This gene, designated catB, predicts a 721-amino-acid polypeptide (CatB) showing 78% identity to an Aspergi ...[more]

PMID: 9150225

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Project description:Genome wide transcriptional changes induced by various types of oxidative stresses as well as salt stress were studied in a DatfA mutant and the appropriate control A. nidulans strains. Although a significant number of stereotypically regulated genes was identified (Core Oxidative Stress Response or COSR genes) when the global transcriptional effects of five different oxidative stress conditions were compared the number of co-regulated genes decreased to 13 when NaCl stress was included into the analyses. The appearance of only a few co-regulated genes and the great number of genes regulated merely by one certain type of stress do not support the existence of a S. cerevisiae-type Environmental Stress Response in A. nidulans. Deletion of atfA, a true functional ortholog of fission yeast’s “all-purpose” stress response transcription factor, increased the oxidative stress sensitivity of A. nidulans and affected the transcription of several genes under both unstressed and stressed conditions. The number of genes under AtfA control was quite stress-type dependent; e.g. deletion of atfA altered the transcription of a wide spectrum of genes under menadione sodium bisulfite stress but had only a minor effect on the transcriptome profiles when A. nidulans cultures were exposed to H2O2, tBOOH, NaCl and, especially, to diamide stress. These observations suggest that the function of AtfA in the regulation of various stress responses is much smaller than we thought before or other transcription factors can take over a number of AtfA’s functions when the atfA gene is deleted. It is noteworthy that both oxidative and salt stress induced the transcription of some secondary metabolite gene clusters and the deletion of atfA enhanced the stress responsiveness of further clusters. Surprisingly, certain clusters were down-regulated by the stress conditions tested and the majority of them were not stress-responsive at all. Therefore, stress dependent regulation seems to be a frequent but far not a general feature of the regulation of secondary metabolism in A. nidulans.

Project description:Genome wide transcriptional changes induced by various types of oxidative stresses as well as salt stress were studied in a DatfA mutant and the appropriate control A. nidulans strains. Although a significant number of stereotypically regulated genes was identified (Core Oxidative Stress Response or COSR genes) when the global transcriptional effects of five different oxidative stress conditions were compared the number of co-regulated genes decreased to 13 when NaCl stress was included into the analyses. The appearance of only a few co-regulated genes and the great number of genes regulated merely by one certain type of stress do not support the existence of a S. cerevisiae-type Environmental Stress Response in A. nidulans. Deletion of atfA, a true functional ortholog of fission yeastâs âall-purposeâ stress response transcription factor, increased the oxidative stress sensitivity of A. nidulans and affected the transcription of several genes under both unstressed and stressed conditions. The number of genes under AtfA control was quite stress-type dependent; e.g. deletion of atfA altered the transcription of a wide spectrum of genes under menadione sodium bisulfite stress but had only a minor effect on the transcriptome profiles when A. nidulans cultures were exposed to H2O2, tBOOH, NaCl and, especially, to diamide stress. These observations suggest that the function of AtfA in the regulation of various stress responses is much smaller than we thought before or other transcription factors can take over a number of AtfAâs functions when the atfA gene is deleted. It is noteworthy that both oxidative and salt stress induced the transcription of some secondary metabolite gene clusters and the deletion of atfA enhanced the stress responsiveness of further clusters. Surprisingly, certain clusters were down-regulated by the stress conditions tested and the majority of them were not stress-responsive at all. Therefore, stress dependent regulation seems to be a frequent but far not a general feature of the regulation of secondary metabolism in A. nidulans. 14 samples, 7 with the control strain and 7 with an DatfA strain (each series contains samples from untreated as well as menadione, low concentration hidrogen-peroxide, high concentration hidrogen-peroxide, tert-butylhydroperoxide, diamide and NaCl treated cultures)

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Two divergent catalase genes are differentially regulated during Aspergillus nidulans development and oxidative stress.

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Two divergent catalase genes are differentially regulated during Aspergillus nidulans development and oxidative stress.

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