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The nucleotide sequence of a 1.9 Kb HindIII fragment of DNA derived from the arom locus of A.nidulans and encoding the biosynthetic dehydroquinase activity has been determined. The sequences encoding the biosynthetic and catabolic dehydroquinase enzymes of A.nidulans show no detectable homology, strongly suggesting convergent evolutionary pathways. The messenger RNA specified by the arom locus was detected as a 5.3 Kb RNA species.

The gene catIII, encoding a type III enterobacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase, was cloned from the transmissible plasmid R387 into pBR322 and bacteriophage M13 mp8. Nucleotide sequence analysis of 1160 bp of DNA identified an open reading frame encoding a protein of 213 amino acid residues and a calculated molecular mass of 24965 Da. The predicted N-terminal sequence is identical with that determined by Edman degradation of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase purified from Escherichia coli harbouring R387. Sequences equivalent to the consensus motifs for initiation and rho-factor-independent termination of transcription in E. coli occur 5' and 3' to the catIII open reading frame. In contrast with the catI gene, present on transposon Tn9 and many enterobacterial plasmids, expression of catIII is not subject to cyclic AMP-mediated catabolite repression in vivo and there is no sequence in the 5' non-coding DNA that resembles that deduced as the consensus for the binding of cyclic AMP receptor protein. Unique restriction-endonuclease cleavage sites were introduced adjacent to the catIII reading frame by using oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis to facilitate insertion into E. coli expression vectors. Fully active chloramphenicol acetyltransferase represents 30-50% of the soluble protein component of cell-free extracts of E. coli containing the appropriate plasmids.

The nucleotide sequence of the inducible chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene (cat) of Staphylococcus aureus plasmid pC221 has been determined. The deduced primary structure for the 215 residue polypeptide (25.9 kDa) is in agreement with partial amino acid sequence data on the purified protein, previously designated as the type C variant of CAT. In common with the inducible cat elements of pC194 and B. pumilus, the 5' non-coding region of the cat of pC221 contains an inverted complementary repeat ('stem-loop' or 'hairpin') which may sequester the predicted ribosome bonding site of the mRNA. The likely transcription initiation site has been determined in vitro using purified B. subtilis RNA polymerase. Recombinant plasmids carrying the cat of pC221 on a 1156 bp TaqI fragment are expressed inefficiently in Escherichia coli, wherein induction is both poor and orientation-specific.

The AROM locus of A. nidulans, which governs five consecutive steps in pre-chorismate aromatic amino acid biosynthesis, has been cloned in a bacteriophage vector. The nucleotide sequence of the locus reveals a single, open reading-frame of 4,812 base-pairs, apparently without introns. An internal segment of the A. nidulans AROM sequence has extensive homology with the E. coli aroA gene that encodes the 5-enolpyruvylshikimate 3-phosphate synthase.

In the ascomycetous fungus Aspergillus nidulans, the expression of two inducible, contiguous or closely linked genes (qutB and qutC) which encode enzymes for quinate breakdown to protocatechuate, appears to be controlled by the product of a tightly linked third genet (qutA). The qut gene cluster locates on chromosome VIII. The catalytic steps required for this conversion are dehydrogenase, dehydroquinase, and dehydratase, and these activities are induced by the presence of quinate in a similar manner. The dehydroquinase enzyme has been purified and shown to be multimeric, consisting of 20-22 identical subunits of approximately 10,000 MW. The enzyme has a pI value of 5.84, a Km of 5 x 10(-4) M, and an amino acid composition that lacks tryptophan and cysteine. The enzyme also cross-reacts with rabbit antibodies raised against Neurospora crassa catabolic dehydroquinase.

The first three steps in quinic acid degradation in Aspergillus nidulans are catalysed by highly inducible enzymes encoded by a gene cluster regulated by an adjacent control region. Analysis of two non-inducible mutants has been done in diploid strains, where qutA8 is recessive and all three enzyme activities are fully induced in heterozygous qutA8/qutA+ diploids. In contrast, qutA4/qutA+ heterozygous diploids show semi-dominance of the mutant allele, giving markedly diminished growth on quinic acid and 30-40% decrease of enzyme induction. Strikingly, the qutA4/qutA8 heterozygous diploid grows to the same degree on quinic acid as the qutA4/qutA+ heterozygote and shows the same level of enzyme induction, whereas both the homozygous mutant diploids do not grow on quinic acid and show no enzyme induction. Therefore the two mutant genomes complement, identifying two distinct regulatory gene functions. A genetic model is proposed of a negatively acting gene (qutA) repressing expression of a positively acting gene (qutD, previously designated qutA8+) whose product is in turn required for expression of the three structural genes. The qutA4 mutation is interpreted to produce an altered repressor insensitive to quinic acid, and the qutD8 mutation the loss of activator protein. Close similarity in the regulation of the quinic acid gene cluster in Neurospora crassa suggests that the two types of control mutation, qalS and qalF, described for N. crassa may also reflect two regulatory genes.