Biomaterial Database

Polyamine transport in Aspergillus nidulans. 1982

D H Spathas, and J A Pateman, and A J Clutterbuck

The uptake of putrescine, spermidine and spermine was studied in Aspergillus nidulans using 14C-labelled polyamines. Active transport systems, inhibited by azide and regulated by nitrogen availability, exist at least for putrescine and spermidine. Putrescine is taken up two to three times more rapidly than spermidine, reflecting a lower Km for the former substrate. The two uptake systems appear to be independent, spermidine uptake being inhibited by both putrescine and spermine, while putrescine uptake is not inhibited by the other two polyamines. The relationships of these transport systems to the tenfold or greater difference between spermidine and putrescine concentrations required to support growth of the putrescine auxotroph are discussed.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007700	Kinetics	The rate dynamics in chemical or physical systems.
D009584	Nitrogen	An element with the atomic symbol N, atomic number 7, and atomic weight [14.00643; 14.00728]. Nitrogen exists as a diatomic gas and makes up about 78% of the earth's atmosphere by volume. It is a constituent of proteins and nucleic acids and found in all living cells.
D011073	Polyamines	Amine compounds that consist of carbon chains or rings containing two or more primary amino groups.	Polyamine
D011700	Putrescine	A toxic diamine formed by putrefaction from the decarboxylation of arginine and ornithine.	1,4-Butanediamine,1,4-Diaminobutane,Tetramethylenediamine,1,4 Butanediamine,1,4 Diaminobutane
D003513	Cycloheximide	Antibiotic substance isolated from streptomycin-producing strains of Streptomyces griseus. It acts by inhibiting elongation during protein synthesis.	Actidione,Cicloheximide
D001233	Aspergillus nidulans	A species of imperfect fungi from which the antibiotic nidulin is obtained. Its teleomorph is Emericella nidulans.	Aspergillus nidulellus,Emericella nidulans
D001386	Azides	Organic or inorganic compounds that contain the -N3 group.	Azide
D001693	Biological Transport, Active	The movement of materials across cell membranes and epithelial layers against an electrochemical gradient, requiring the expenditure of metabolic energy.	Active Transport,Uphill Transport,Active Biological Transport,Biologic Transport, Active,Transport, Active Biological,Active Biologic Transport,Transport, Active,Transport, Active Biologic,Transport, Uphill
D013095	Spermidine	A polyamine formed from putrescine. It is found in almost all tissues in association with nucleic acids. It is found as a cation at all pH values, and is thought to help stabilize some membranes and nucleic acid structures. It is a precursor of spermine.
D013096	Spermine	A biogenic polyamine formed from spermidine. It is found in a wide variety of organisms and tissues and is an essential growth factor in some bacteria. It is found as a polycation at all pH values. Spermine is associated with nucleic acids, particularly in viruses, and is thought to stabilize the helical structure.