Identification and cloning of a mobile transposon fromAspergillus niger var.awamori

Aspergillus niger var.awamori contains multiple copies of a transposable element, Vader. This element was detected as a 437-bp insertion in four independently isolated spontaneous mutants of theniaD (nitrate reductase) gene. The Vader element is present in approximately 15 copies in bothA. niger var.awamori andA. niger. A single copy of Vader was detected from only one of the two laboratory strains ofA. nidulans which were also examined. Insertion of the Vader element into theniaD gene ofA. niger var.awamori caused a 2-bp duplication (TA) of the target sequence. The Vader element is flanked by a 44-bp inverted repeat. The genetic stabilities of the inserted Vader elements atniaD were examined by studying reversion frequencies resulting in colonies able to grow on nitrate as a sole nitrogen source. MutantsniaD392 andniaD436 reverted at a frequency of 9x10^-3 and 4x10^-2, respectively. Two of the mutants,niaD587 andniaD410, reverted at a lower frequency of 6x10^-4.