Xanthine dehydrogenase expression in Neurospora crassa does not require a functional nit-2 regulatory gene

Xanthine dehydrogenase (XDH) is the initial enzyme in the purine catabolic pathway of N. crassa. Secondary nitrogen sources such as purines are metabolized when preferred sources of reduced nitrogen (ammonium or glutamine) are unavailable. XDH synthesis is regulated by glutamine repression and uric acid induction. The nit-2 locus is believed to encode a trans-acting positive regulator essential for the expression of genes encoding enzymes involved in secondary pathways of nitrogen acquisition, such as XDH and nitrate reductase. However, immunoblot analyses and enzyme assays reveal that XDH protein is synthesized and XDH activity is expressed in nit-2 mutants. Nevertheless, XDH responds to nitrogen metabolite repression. The generality that nit-2 is an obligate control element in nitrogen metabolite repression is questioned. Additionally, mutants defective in XDH activity, namely, xdh-1 and the molybdenum cofactor mutants nit-1, -7, -8 and -9, are observed to grow on xanthine but not hypoxanthine.