Molecular characterization of a putative Aspergillus nidulans glucose transceptor

• Grant number: 13/12784-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• Effective date (Start): August 01, 2013
• Effective date (End): December 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics - Molecular Genetics and Genetics of Microorganisms
• Principal Investigator: Gustavo Henrique Goldman
• Grantee: Thaila Fernanda dos Reis
• Supervisor: Vera Meyer
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto (FCFRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Research place: Technical University of Berlin (TU), Germany
• Associated to the scholarship: 11/04035-8 - Molecular characterization of glucose-sensing system in the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans, BP.PD

Abstract

Glucose is the main source of carbon and energy for most eukaryotic cells. This carbohydrate is responsible for the regulation of important cellular and metabolic processes. The regulatory effects controlled by glucose are widespread in eukaryotic cell, including filamentous fungi. In order to characterize the mechanisms involved with glucose transport and/or sensing in the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans, we have identified four putative Saccharomyces cerevisiae RGT2 and SNF3 homologous genes (named hxtB-E). The HxtE is able to allow the yeast glucose-deficient strain EBY.VW400 to grow in the presence of glucose. Also, the HxtE::GFP protein is target to the plasma membrane and the deletion of this gene in A. nidulans results in an uncontrolled pattern of glucose transport. Michaelis-Menten kinetics did not allow us to classify this gene as either a low of high affinity transporter. The results obtained for hxtE are very intriguing and permit us to hypothesize that this gene could codify a glucose transceptor in A. nidulans. Thus, aiming to characterize the htxE gene, we propose to proceed the continuous cultivation of A. nidulans hxtE mutant strain under very well controlled parameters using chemostat cultivation. The final biomass will be used for RNA-seq analysis in order to identify possible targets controlled by hxtE. This approach would contribute to a better understanding of the functional involvement of hxtE in the glucose transport and sensing in A. nidulans. (AU)