URA1 — Neurospora crassa

Summary

NCU06532 (URA1) on Neurospora crassa chromosome 4 encodes a dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (PyrE), an enzyme with dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (quinone) activity. This product is localized to the mitochondrial inner membrane and is associated with de novo UMP biosynthesis and pyrimidine ribonucleotide anabolism. The gene is also associated with mitochondrial protein import, DNA replication, and protein import. Phenotypic associations link URA1 to altered colony color and morphology, increased adhesion and chitin deposition, decreased sporulation and respiratory growth, reduced acquired thermotolerance and stationary-phase survival, abnormal RNA accumulation and nucleolar morphology, increased cell size and budding index, decreased carbon-source utilization, and increased chemical compound excretion. Studies of related genes in other species connect this family to oxidative stress response and anaerobic growth.