Mobilisation of trehalose in mutants of the cyclic AMP signalling pathway, cr-1 (CRISP-1) and mcb (microcycle conidiation), of Neurospora crassa.

The influence of the cAMP-signalling pathway on the metabolism of trehalose in Neurospora crassa was investigated. The changes in intracellular trehalose concentration were measured in two mutants affected in components of the cAMP-signalling pathway: cr-1 (crisp-1), deficient in adenylyl cyclase activity, and mcb (microcyclic conidiation), deficient in the regulatory subunit of PKA. Rapid mobilisation of intracellular trehalose in the wild-type occurred, either at the onset of germination, or after a heat shock, and by carbon starvation. Mutant cr-1 failed to mobilise trehalose at germination, but behaved almost normally after a heat shock, or during carbon starvation. On the other hand, the levels of trehalose in mcb fell to values much lower than in the wild-type at germination, but accumulated trehalose normally during a heat shock. These results are consistent with the involvement of cAMP in the activation of the neutral trehalase at the onset of germination. However, the control of the enzyme under the other physiological conditions which also promote mobilisation of intracellular trehalose was apparently independent of cAMP-signalling.

Effects of temperature shifts on the activities of Neurospora crassa glycogen synthase, glycogen phosphorylase and trehalose-6-phosphate synthase.

Conidiospore germlings of Neurospora crassa submitted to a heat shock at 45 degrees C accumulate trehalose and degrade glycogen. The opposite occurs upon reincubation at a physiologic temperature (30 degrees C). These observations suggest a temperature-dependent mechanism for the preferential synthesis of one or the other sugar reserve. Here we show that concomitant with these shifts of temperature, occurred reversible changes in the activities of glycogen synthase and phosphorylase. Glycogen synthase was inactivated at 45 degrees C while phosphorylase was activated. The reverse was true when the cells were shifted back to 30 degrees C. Addition of cycloheximide did not prevent the reversible enzymatic changes, which remained stable after gel filtration. Apparently, the effects of temperature shifts occurred at the level of reversible covalent enzymatic modifications. Trehalose-6-phosphate synthase properties were also affected by temperature. For instance, the enzyme was less sensitive to in vitro inhibition by inorganic phosphate at 50 degrees C than at 30 degrees C. Fructose-6-phosphate partially relieved the inhibitory effect of phosphate at 30 degrees C but not at 50 degrees C. These effects of the assay temperature, inorganic phosphate, and fructose-6-phosphate, on trehalose-6-phosphate synthase activity, were more evident for crude extracts obtained from heat-shocked cells. Altogether, these results may contribute to explain the preferential accumulation of trehalose 45 degrees C, or that of glycogen at 30 degrees C.

Conidial alkaline phosphatase from Neurospora crassa.

An alkaline phosphatase was purified from conidia of a Neurospora crassa wild type strain. The M(r) of the purified native enzyme was estimated as ca 145,000 and 110,000 by gel filtration, in the presence and absence of magnesium ions, respectively. A single polypeptide band of M(r) 36,000 was detected by SDS-PAGE, suggesting that the native enzyme was a tetramer of apparently identical subunits. Conidial alkaline phosphatase was an acidic protein (pl = 4.0 +/- 0.1), with 40% carbohydrate content. Optimal pH was affected by substrate concentration and magnesium ions. Low concentrations of calcium ions (0.1 mM) had slight stimulatory effects, but in excess (5 mM) caused protein aggregates with decreased activity. The enzyme specificity against different substrates was compared with those reported for constitutive or Pi-repressible alkaline phosphatases produced by N. crassa. The results suggested that the conidial alkaline phosphatase represented a different class among other such enzymes synthesized by this organism.