Aspergillus nidulans catalase-peroxidase gene (cpeA) is transcriptionally induced during sexual development through the transcription factor StuA

Catalases, peroxidases, and catalase-peroxidases are important enzymes to cope with reactive oxygen species in pro- and eukaryotic cells. In the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans three monofunctional catalases have been described, and a fourth catalase activity was observed in native polyacrylamide gels. The latter activity is probably due to the bifunctional enzyme catalase-peroxidase, which we characterized here. The gene, named cpeA, encodes an 81-kDa polypeptide with a conserved motif for heme coordination. The enzyme comprises of two similar domains, suggesting gene duplication and fusion during evolution. The first 439 amino acids share 22% identical residues with the C terminus. Homologous proteins are found in several prokaryotes, such as Escherichia coli and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (both with 61% identity). In fungi the enzyme has been noted in Penicillium simplicissimum, Septoria tritici, and Neurospora crassa (69% identical amino acids) but is absent from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Expression analysis in A. nidulans revealed that the gene is transcriptionally induced upon carbon starvation and during sexual development, but starvation is not sufficient to reach high levels of the transcript during development. Besides transcriptional activation, we present evidence for post-transcriptional regulation. A green fluorescent protein fusion protein localized to the cytoplasm of Hulle cells. The Hulle cell-specific expression was dependent on the developmental regulator StuA, suggesting an activating function of this helix-loop-helix transcription factor.