The Aspergillus nidulans UDP-galactofuranose transporter, UgtA roles in wall structure, hyphal morphology, and conidiation.

Ref ID: 18357

Author:

Sharmin Afroz
(a), Amira El-Ganiny (a, b), Susan G.W. Kaminskyj

Author address:

(a) a) Dept Biology, Univ Saskatchewan, Canada; b) Microbiology Dept, Faculty of Pharmacy,
Zagazig Univ, Egypt. Susan.Kaminskyj@usask.ca

Full conference title:

Asperfest 8

Abstract:

Galactofuranose (Galf) is the 5-member-ring form of galactose found in the walls of fungi including Aspergillus. UDP- galactofuranose mutase
(ANID_3112.1) generates UDP-Galf from UDP-galactopyranose (6-member ring form). UgmA is cytoplasmic. UDP-Galf must be transported into an
endomembrane compartment before incorporation into wall components. ANID_3113.1 (which we call UgtA) was identified based on its high amino
acid sequence identity with GlfB, the UDP galactofuranose transporter in A. fumigatus. UgtA is not essential. The ugtA) strain, ASA1 has a phenotype
similar to that of ugmA): compact colonies with wide, highly branched hyphae. ASA1 spore production and germination were reduced compared to wild
type. Using SEM, some ASA1 metulae produced phialide triplets, rather than pairs. These phialides produced nucleated spores. Using TEM, ASA1 hyphal
walls were more than three-fold thicker than wild type strains. Aspergillus nidulans ugtA is predicted to have five exons, which we confirmed by isolating
and sequencing its cDNA. The UgtA predicted product is a 400 amino acid integral membrane protein likely to have 11 transmembrane helices. An A.
nidulans strain with UgtA GFP under the control of its constitutive promoter had a punctate GFP fluorescence pattern consistent with localization to the
fungal Golgi equivalent. We are exploring possible interactions between UgmA and cytoplasmic loops of UgtA

Abstract Number: 35)

Conference Year: 2011

Link to conference website: NULL

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