Expression of rat renal sodium/phosphate cotransporter in Xenopus laevis oocytes.

In an attempt to identify the renal Na+/Pi cotransporter, Xenopus laevis oocytes were used to express mRNA isolated from the renal cortex of rat kidney. Na(+)-dependent uptake of Pi in oocytes, injected with mRNA, resulted in an increase of 2-4-fold as compared to oocytes injected with water. Both the new expressed and endogenous Na(+)-dependent Pi uptake activity were inhibited with 2 mM phosphonoformic acid (PFA). Expression of Pi uptake into oocytes was dose-dependent with the amount of mRNA injected. When mRNA was fractionated on a sucrose gradient, a mRNA fraction of 2.5 kilobases expressed the Na+/Pi cotransport activity in oocytes. This fraction resulted in a 6-fold stimulation of Na(+)-dependent Pi transport when compared to oocytes injected with water. The Km and Vmax for Na(+)-dependent Pi uptake were 0.18 mM and 118 pmol/oocyte per 30 min, respectively.     

Isolation and characterization of an actinomycin D-sensitive mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

A single mutation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae conferred sensitivity to low concentrations of actinomycin D. Treatment with actinomycin D preferentially inhibited synthesis of rRNA's. Residual rRNA synthesized was processed normally. Total protein synthesis and inducibility of the enzyme maltase were relatively unaffected at concentrations of actinomycin D which severely inhibited rRNA synthesis.     

Regulation of allantoate transport in wild-type and mutant strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Accumulation of intracellular allantoin and allantoate is mediated by two distinct active transport systems in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Allantoin transport (DAL4 gene) is inducible, while allantoate uptake is constitutive (it occurs at full levels in the absence of any allantoate-related compounds from the culture medium). Both systems appear to be sensitive to nitrogen catabolite repression, feedback inhibition, and trans-inhibition. Mutants (dal5) that lack allantoate transport have been isolated. These strains also exhibit a 60% loss of allantoin transport capability. Conversely, dal4 mutants previously described are unable to transport allantoin and exhibit a 50% loss of allantoate transport. We interpret the pleiotropic behavior of the dal4 and dal5 mutations as deriving from a functional interaction between elements of the two transport systems.     

Functional expression of mammalian cytochromes P450IIB in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Three mammalian cytochromes P450 from the IIB subfamily, P450IIB11 from canine and P450IIB4 and P450IIB5 from rabbit, have been expressed in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae by use of an autonomously replicating vector containing the galactose-inducible gal10 promoter. Cytochromes P450IIB4 and P450IIB5 are closely related proteins, with only 11 amino acid substitutions between them. P450IIB11 is a homologous protein, likely orthologous with IIB4 or IIB5, with 102 amino acid substitutions compared with the P450IIB4 protein and 106 compared with the P450IIB5 protein. The expressed proteins are functional in yeast microsomes, exhibiting activity toward androstenedione, 7-ethoxycoumarin, and, in some cases, progesterone. Expressed cytochromes P450IIB4 and P450IIB11 hydroxylate androstenedione with regio- and stereoselectivity characteristic of the purified, reconstituted proteins. A striking difference in the androstenedione metabolite profiles of IIB4 and IIB5 was observed, with IIB4 producing almost exclusively the 16 beta-hydroxy metabolite and IIB5 producing the 16 alpha-hydroxy and 15 alpha-hydroxy products. This is the first time that 15 alpha-hydroxylase activity has been associated with IIB4/IIB5. This activity has also been detected in liver microsomes from some, but not all, individual phenobarbital-induced rabbits tested and is largely inhibited by anti-rabbit P450IIB immunoglobulin G. These studies illustrate the utility of the yeast expression system for defining catalytic activities of individual mammalian cytochromes P450 and identifying new marker activities that can be utilized in liver microsomes.     

Purification and characterization of an endo-polygalacturonase from a mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

An extracellular endo-polygalacturonase (PGase) produced by a mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was isolated. The enzyme was regarded, immunologically, as a PGase belonging to the Kluyveromyces marxianus group. The enzyme had properties similar to the PGase from K. marxianus in heat and pH stability, and N-terminal amino acid sequence. However, the enzyme showed different properties in optimum pH and temperature, molecular weight, and reactivity in antiserum against PGase from K. marxianus, indicating that the enzyme has a different molecular structure from the PGase from K. marxianus.     

Nucleotide sequence of the wild-type RAD4 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and characterization of mutant rad4 alleles.

Shuttle plasmids carrying the wild-type RAD4 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cannot be propagated in Escherichia coli (R. Fleer, W. Siede, and E. C. Friedberg, J. Bacteriol. 169:4884-4892, 1987). In order to determine the nucleotide sequence of the cloned gene, we used a plasmid carrying a mutant allele that allows plasmid propagation in E. coli. The wild-type sequence in the region of this mutation was determined from a second plasmid carrying a different mutant rad4 allele. We established the locations and characteristics of a number of spontaneously generated plasmid-borne RAD4 mutations that alleviate the toxicity of the wild-type gene in E. coli and of several mutagen-induced chromosomal mutations that inactivate the excision repair function of RAD4. These mutations are situated in very close proximity to each other, and all are expected to result in the expression of truncated polypeptides missing the carboxy-terminal one-third of the Rad4 polypeptide. This region of the gene may be important both for the toxic effect of the Rad4 protein in E. coli and for its role in DNA repair in S. cerevisiae.     

Functional characterization of wild-type and mutant human sialin

The modification of cell surface lipids or proteins with sialic acid is essential for many biological processes and several diseases are caused by defective sialic acid metabolism. Sialic acids cleaved off from degraded sialoglycoconjugates are exported from lysosomes by a membrane transporter, named sialin, which is defective in two allelic inherited diseases: infantile sialic acid storage disease (ISSD) and Salla disease. To develop a functional assay of human sialin, we redirected the protein to the plasma membrane by mutating a dileucine-based internalization motif. Cells expressing the plasmalemmal construct accumulated neuraminic acid at acidic pH by a process equivalent to lysosomal efflux. The assay was used to determine how pathogenic mutations affect transport. Interestingly, while two missense mutations and one small, in-frame deletion associated with ISSD abolished transport, the mutation causing Salla disease (R39C) slowed down, but did not stop, the transport cycle, thus explaining why the latter disorder is less severe. Since neurological symptoms predominate in Salla disease, our results suggest that sialin is rate-limiting to specific sialic acid-dependent processes of the nervous system.     

Structural and functional analyses of Saccharomyces cerevisiae wild-type and mutant RNA1 genes.

The yeast gene RNA1 has been defined by the thermosensitive rna1-1 lesion. This lesion interferes with the processing and production of all major classes of RNA. Each class of RNA is affected at a distinct and presumably unrelated step. Furthermore, RNA does not appear to exit the nucleus. To investigate how the RNA1 gene product can pleiotropically affect disparate processes, we undertook a structural analysis of wild-type and mutant RNA1 genes. The wild-type gene was found to contain a 407-amino-acid open reading frame that encodes a hydrophilic protein. No clue regarding the function of the RNA1 protein was obtained by searching banks for similarity to other known gene products. Surprisingly, the rna1-1 lesion was found to code for two amino acid differences from wild type. We found that neither single-amino-acid change alone resulted in temperature sensitivity. The carboxy-terminal region of the RNA1 open reading frame contains a highly acidic domain extending from amino acids 334 to 400. We generated genomic deletions that removed C-terminal regions of this protein. Deletion of amino acids 397 to 407 did not appear to affect cell growth. Removal of amino acids 359 to 397, a region containing 24 acidic residues, caused temperature-sensitive growth. This allele, rna1-delta 359-397, defines a second conditional lesion of the RNA1 locus. We found that strains possessing the rna1-delta 359-397 allele did not show thermosensitive defects in pre-rRNA or pre-tRNA processing. Removal of amino acids 330 to 407 resulted in loss of viability.     

Xylulose fermentation by mutant and wild-type strains of Zygosaccharomyces and Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Anaerobic xylulose fermentation was compared in strains of Zygosaccharomyces and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, mutants and wild-type strains to identify host-strain background and genetic modifications beneficial to xylose fermentation. Overexpression of the gene (XKS1) for the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) enzyme xylulokinase (XK) increased the ethanol yield by almost 85% and resulted in ethanol yields [0.61 C-mmol (C-mmol consumed xylulose)⁻¹] that were close to the theoretical yield [0.67 C-mmol (C-mmol consumed xylulose)⁻¹]. Likewise, deletion of gluconate 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (gnd1Δ) in the PPP and deletion of trehalose 6-phosphate synthase (tps1Δ) together with trehalose 6-phosphate phosphatase (tps2Δ) increased the ethanol yield by 30% and 20%, respectively. Strains deleted in the promoter of the phosphoglucose isomerase gene (PGI1) – resulting in reduced enzyme activities – increased the ethanol yield by 15%. Deletion of ribulose 5-phosphate (rpe1Δ) in the PPP abolished ethanol formation completely. Among non-transformed and parental strains S. cerevisiae ENY. WA-1A exhibited the highest ethanol yield, 0.47 C-mmol (C-mmol consumed xylulose)⁻¹. Other non-transformed strains produced mainly arabinitol or xylitol from xylulose under anaerobic conditions. Contrary to previous reports S. cerevisiae T23D and CBS 8066 were not isogenic with respect to pentose metabolism. Whereas, CBS 8066 has been reported to have a high ethanol yield on xylulose, 0.46 C-mmol (C-mmol consumed xylulose)⁻¹ (Yu et al. 1995), T23D only formed ethanol with a yield of 0.24 C-mmol (C-mmol consumed xylulose)⁻¹. Strains producing arabinitol did not produce xylitol and vice versa. However, overexpression of XKS1 shifted polyol formation from xylitol to arabinitol. Received: 2 July 1999 / Accepted in revised form: 12 October 1999     

Heterologous expression of mammalian Na/H antiporters in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Na+/H+ antiporters, integral membrane proteins that exchange protons for alkali metal cations, play multiple roles in probably all living organisms (preventing cells from excessive amounts of alkali metal cations, regulating intracellular pH and cell volume). In this work, we studied the functionality of rat plasma membrane NHE1-3 exchangers upon their heterologous expression in alkali-metal-cation sensitive Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and searched for conditions that would increase their level in the plasma membrane and improve their functionality. Though three tested exchangers were partially localized to the plasma membrane (and two of them (NHE2 and NHE3) in an active form), the bulk of the synthesized proteins were arrested along the secretory pathway, mainly in the ER. To increase the level of exchangers in the yeast plasma membrane several approaches (truncation of C-terminal regulatory sequences, expression in mutant yeast strains, construction of rat/yeast protein chimeras, various growth conditions and chemical chaperones) were tested. The only increase in the amount of NHE exchangers in the plasma membrane was obtained upon expression in a strain with the npi1 mutation, which significantly lowers the level of Rsp5 ubiquitin ligase in cells. This mutation helped to stabilize proteins in the plasma membrane.     

Functional characterization of human methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Human methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR, EC 1.5.1.20) catalyzes the reduction of 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate to 5-methyltetrahydrofolate. 5-Methyltetrahydrofolate is a major methyl donor in the remethylation of homocysteine to methionine. Impaired MTHFR can cause high levels of homocysteine in plasma, which is an independent risk factor for vascular disease and neural tube defects. We have functionally characterized wild-type and several mutant alleles of human MTHFR in yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We have shown that yeast MET11 is a functional homologue of human MTHFR. Expression of the human MTHFR cDNA in a yeast strain deleted for MET11 can restore the strain's MTHFR activity in vitro and complement its methionine auxotrophic phenotype in vivo. To understand the domain structure of human MTHFR, we have truncated the C terminus (50%) of the protein and demonstrated that expressing an N-terminal human MTHFR in met11(-) yeast cells rescues the growth phenotype, indicating that this region contains the catalytic domain of the enzyme. However, the truncation leads to the reduced protein levels, suggesting that the C terminus may be important for protein stabilization. We have also functionally characterized four missense mutations identified from patients with severe MTHFR deficiency and two common missense polymorphisms found at high frequency in the general population. Three of the four missense mutations are unable to complement the auxotrophic phenotype of met11(-) yeast cells and show less than 7% enzyme activity of the wild type in vitro. Both of the two common polymorphisms are able to complement the growth phenotype, although one exhibited thermolabile enzyme activity in vitro. These results shall be useful for the functional characterization of MTHFR mutations and analysis structure/function relationship of the enzyme.     

Functional interactions between potassium and phosphate homeostasis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Maintenance of ion homeostatic mechanisms is essential for living cells, including the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Whereas the impact of changes in phosphate metabolism on metal ion homeostasis has been recently examined, the inverse effect is still largely unexplored. We show here that depletion of potassium from the medium or alteration of diverse regulatory pathways controlling potassium uptake, such as the Trk potassium transporters or the Pma1 H⁺‐ATPase, triggers a response that mimics that of phosphate (Pi) deprivation, exemplified by accumulation of the high‐affinity Pi transporter Pho84. This response is mediated by and requires the integrity of the PHO signaling pathway. Removal of potassium from the medium does not alter the amount of total or free intracellular Pi, but is accompanied by decreased ATP and ADP levels and rapid depletion of cellular polyphosphates. Therefore, our data do not support the notion of Pi being the major signaling molecule triggering phosphate‐starvation responses. We also observe that cells with compromised potassium uptake cannot grow under limiting Pi conditions. The link between potassium and phosphate homeostasis reported here could explain the invasive phenotype, characteristic of nutrient deprivation, observed in potassium‐deficient yeast cells.     

Functional production of mammalian concentrative nucleoside transporters in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The transport of nucleosides and nucleobases in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is reviewed and the use of this organism to study recombinant mammalian concentrative nucleoside transport (CNT) proteins is described. A selection strategy based on the ability of an expressed nucleoside transporter cDNA to mediate thymidine uptake by yeast under a selective condition that depletes endogenous thymidylate was used to assess the transport capacity of heterologous transporter proteins. The pyrimidine-nucleoside selective concentrative transporters from human (hCNT1) and rat (rCNT1) complemented the imposed thymidylate depletion in S. cerevisiae, as did N-terminally truncated versions of hCNT1 and rCNT1 lacking up to 31 amino acids. Transporter-mediated rescue of S. cerevisiae by both nucleoside transporters was inhibited by cytidine, uridine and adenosine, but not by guanosine or inosine. This work represents the development of a new model system for the functional production of recombinant nucleoside transporters of the CNT family of membrane proteins.     

Functional production of mammalian concentrative nucleoside transporters in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The transport of nucleosides and nucleobases in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is reviewed and the use of this organism to study recombinant mammalian concentrative nucleoside transport (CNT) proteins is described. A selection strategy based on the ability of an expressed nucleoside transporter cDNA to mediate thymidine uptake by yeast under a selective condition that depletes endogenous thymidylate was used to assess the transport capacity of heterologous transporter proteins. The pyrimidine-nucleoside selective concentrative transporters from human (hCNT1) and rat (rCNT1) complemented the imposed thymidylate depletion in S. cerevisiae, as did N-terminally truncated versions of hCNT1 and rCNT1 lacking up to 31 amino acids. Transporter-mediated rescue of S. cerevisiae by both nucleoside transporters was inhibited by cytidine, uridine and adenosine, but not by guanosine or inosine. This work represents the development of a new model system for the functional production of recombinant nucleoside transporters of the CNT family of membrane proteins.     

Functional expression and characterization of the myrosinase MYR1 from Brassica napus in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Myrosinases are thioglucosidases that hydrolyze the natural plant products glucosinolates. We have expressed the myrosinase MYR1 from Brassica napus in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The recombinant myrosinase was enzymatically active which shows that the MYR1, which in the plant is complex bound with myrosinase-binding proteins and myrosinase-associated proteins, is functional in its free form. Characterization of the recombinant MYR1 with respect to pH optimum, substrate specificity, activation by ascorbic acid, and inhibitors showed similar characteristics as previously observed for other plant myrosinases. The indolizidine alkaloid castanospermine, an inhibitor of O-glycosidases, inhibited the hydrolysis of p-hydroxybenzylglucosinolate with a K(i) value of 0.3 microM and 2-deoxy-2-fluoroglucotropaeolin, a specific inhibitor of thioglucosidases, inhibited the enzyme with a K(i) value of 1 mM. The expression of the myrosinase in yeast was transient and the growth of the yeast cells was significantly reduced during the period of expression of the myrosinase. Immunoblot analysis showed that the highest level of expression of MYR1 was obtained 24 h after induction with galactose. The amount of myrosinase protein correlated with the level of enzyme activity. The transient expression of myrosinase indicates that myrosinase is toxic to the cells. This is the first report on successful heterologous expression of a myrosinase and provides an important tool for, e.g., further characterization of myrosinase by site-directed mutagenesis and for studying the interaction between myrosinase and myrosinase-binding proteins, myrosinase-associated proteins, and epithiospecifier proteins.     

The FUR1 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae: cloning, structure and expression of wild-type and mutant alleles

The FUR1 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae encodes uracil phosphoribosyltransferase (UPRTase) which catalyses the conversion of uracil into uridine 5'-monophosphate (UMP) in the pyrimidine salvage pathway. The FUR1 gene is included in a 2.1 kb genomic segment of DNA and is transcribed into a 1 kb poly(A)+mRNA. Sequencing has determined a 753 bp open reading frame capable of encoding a protein of 251 amino acids. The FUR1 genes for three recessive fur1 alleles, having different sensibilities to 5-fluorouridine (5-FUR) but identical levels of resistance to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), were cloned and sequenced. Single bp changes located in different regions of the gene were found in each mutant. Two in vitro-constructed deletions of the FUR1 gene have been integrated at the chromosomal locus, giving strains with 5-FURR and 5-FURR mutant phenotype. Assays of UPRTase, uridine kinase, uridine ribohydrolase and uridine 5'-monophosphate nucleotidase enzymatic activities, in extracts of strains where the FUR1 gene is overexpressed or deleted, indicate that the FUR1 encoded protein possesses only UPRTase activity.     

Gene dosage effects in polyploid strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae containing gua-1 wild-type and mutant alleles.

Triploid and tetraploid Saccharomyces strains containing different combinations of a gua-1 mutant allele and the corresponding wild type were prepared. The cultivation of the different strains in media upon which the mutant fails to grow leads to a pronounced growth rate response to the dosage of the wild-type allele. Proportionality between the specific activity of the guanosine 5'-monophosphate synthetase and the wild-type dosage was reavealed. Inosine 5'-monophosphate dehydrogenase, the precursor enzyme in the pathway, is derepressed in a sigmoid manner when the wild-type dosage is reduced, whereas the activity of cytosine deaminase, investigated as a reference enzyme, is less affected.     

Functional characterization of starvation-induced lysosomal activity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Starvation induces significant alterations in lysosomal enzymes, and reduced concentrations of glucose increases the activity of several lysosomal enzymes. Therefore, to evaluate the lysosomal antimicrobial activity under starvation conditions, we added 0, 5, 10, 20, or 40 g/l of glucose (0%, 0.5%, 1%, 2%, or 4% glucose) supplemented YP medium to cultured Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and lysosomal fractions were isolated from S. cerevisiae grown under the various culture conditions. The lysosomes isolated from each condition exhibited increased antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli as determined by a decrease in glucose concentration. In addition, a starvation-dependent increase in lysosomal activity coincided with increased lysosome intensity at the cytosol and distinct protein expression from lysosomes in S. cerevisiae. It also was determined found that the lysosomes have antimicrobial activity against seven different microorganisms, including E. coli, and starvation-induced lysosomes showed enhanced antimicrobial activity compared to those from normal lysosomes. These results suggest the possibility that lysosomal alterations during starvation may induce conditions that activate lysosomes for future development of efficient antimicrobial agents.