Regulation of two alcohol dehydrogenases in Aspergillus nidulans.

In Aspergillus nidulans there are two alcohol dehydrogenases. In the presence of ethanol, alcohol dehydrogenase I (AHH I) is induced and alcohol dehydrogenase II (ADH II) is repressed. ADH I and ADH II have molecular weights of 39,000 and 36,000 respectively. At least ADH I is under the control of alcR, a transacting regulatory gene that is adjacent to alcA (the structural gene for ADH I, Pateman et al. 1983). Mutations in the alcR regulatory gene result in non inducibility of ADH I specific mRNA. Extreme alcA and alcR mutations result in derepressed levels of ADH II, and it is not clear whether alcR controls ADH II directly or through its control of ADH I synthesis. Both enzymes are subject to carbon catabolite repression. Induction of ADH I and ADH II operates at the level of synthesis or processing of mRNA.