The model actinomycete, Streptomyces coelicolor is able to grow with nitrate as the sole nitrogen source. In this study, an assimilatory nitrate reductase encoding gene, nasA (SCO2473) was, for the first time, identified from the genome of S. coelicolor by genetic and physiological means. We also proved that GlnR, a previously characterized global nitrogen regulator in S. coelicolor, positively regulated the transcription of nasA via specific binding to a cis-element similar but different from the previously characterized consensus sequence. This finding will certainly facilitate the better understanding about both the functional scope and the mechanism of action of GlnR in regulating nitrogen metabolism in S. coelicolor. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.