Summary: Pathway-specific induction plays an important role in Aspergillus nidulans when this fungus is grown on media containing glycerol as carbon source. To obtain mutants altered in regulation of glycerol metabolism, we used a glcB mutant strain, which is unable to grow on mixed carbon sources like d-glucose/glycerol as it accumulates G3P. Pseudorevertants, derived from this strain after mutagenesis as able to grow on d-glucose/glycerol, were analysed. In addition to glycerol kinase mutants and glycerol uptake mutants four new classes of mutants were found. Biochemical and genetic data indicate that the glcH mutants found are likely to lack a positive factor necessary for full induction of glycerol kinase and glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase activities. The phenotype of a temperature-sensitive glcI mutant was found to be influenced by oxygen tension. Elevated levels of intracellular phosphatase were found in a glcL mutant. The glcK1 mutant had slow growth rates and higher levels of phosphofructokinase and fructose-6-phosphate reductase.
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