Li et al. report the PnmB protease as a moonlighting protein in the fungus Aspergillus nidulans as both a secreted protease that degrades extracellular nutrients and an intracellular protease that controls the turnover of the co-repressor NmrA. These results reveal a regulatory mechanism of the drivers of the nitrogen starvation response, as well as the functional evolution of a protease gene for transcriptional regulation and extracellular nutrient breakdown.
- Ang Li
- Chirag Parsania
- Koon Ho Wong
