Nitrogen regulation of arginase in Neurospora crassa

The final products of the arginine catabolism that can be utilized as a nitrogen source in Neurospora crassa are ammonium, glutamic acid, and glutamine. The effect of these compounds on arginase induction by arginine was studied. In wild-type strain 74-A, induction by arginine was almost completely repressed by glutamic acid plus ammonium, whereas ammonium or glutamic acid alone had only moderate effects. Arginine products of catabolism also repressed arginase induction. A mutant, ure-1, which lacks urease activity, hyperinduced its arginase with arginine as a nitrogen source. The addition of either ammonium or glutamine produced effects similar to those in the wild-type strain. The effect of ammonium on arginase induction is mediated through its conversion into glutamine. This was demonstrated in mutant am-1, which lacks L-glutamate dehydrogenase activity. In this mutant, the effect of glutamic acid was reduced, and, with ammonium, it was completely lost. The addition of glutamine or glutamic acid plus ammonium to this strain decreased by threefold the induction of arginase by arginine. Proline, a final product of arginine catabolism, competitively inhibited arginase activity. This effect and the repression of arginase by glutamine are examples of negative modulation of the first enzyme in a catabolic pathway by its final products.