Sulfur regulation of the sulfate transporter genes sutA and sutB in Penicillium chrysogenum

Penicillium chrysogenum uses sulfate as a source of sulfur for the biosynth esis of penicillin. Sulfate uptake and the mRNA levels of the sulfate trans porter-encoding sutB and sutA genes are all reduced by high sulfate concent rations and are elevated by sulfate starvation. In a high-penicillin-yieldi ng strain, sutB is effectively transcribed even in the presence of excess s ulfate. This deregulation may facilitate the efficient incorporation of sul fur into cysteine and penicillin.