Expression of bacterial mercuric ion reductase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The gene merA coding for bacterial mercuric ion reductase was cloned under the control of the yeast promoter for alcohol dehydrogenase I in the yeast-Escherichia coli shuttle plasmid pADH040-2 and transformed into Saccharomyces cerevisiae AH22. The resulting transformant harbored stable copies of the merA-containing hybrid plasmid, displayed a fivefold increase in the MIC of mercuric chloride, and synthesized mercuric ion reductase activity.     

Monooxygenase activity of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells transformed with expression plasmids carrying rat cytochrome P-450MC cDNA

The recombinant plasmids pAMC1 and pJMC1 were constructed; the former contained the cytochrome P-450MC (P-450MC) cDNA expression unit consisting of yeast alcohol dehydrogenase I (ADH) promoter, rat P-450MC cDNA and ADH terminator, and the Leu 2 marker gene, and the latter contained the same expression unit and the leu 2-d gene. Saccharomyces cerevisiae AH22 cells transformed with each of the recombinant plasmids were examined for plasmid copy number, P-450MC mRNA level, P-450MC content, and monooxygenase activity. The S. cerevisiae AH22/pJMC1 cells contained about 2-fold higher levels of the plasmid, P-450MC mRNA, and P-450MC than the AH22/pAMC1 cells. Monooxygenase activity towards 7-ethoxycoumarin and acetanilide of the AH22/pJMC1 cells was 1.7-fold and 1.5-fold higher than that of the AH22/pAMC1 cells, respectively, whereas the activity of the AH22/pAMC1 cells towards 7-ethoxycoumarin and acetanilide was more than 1,000-fold 10-fold higher than that of the control AH22/pAAH5 cells which contain no P-450MC cDNA, respectively. Therefore, it is likely that monooxygenase activity of the AH22 cells carrying rat P-450MC cDNA was approximately proportional to the expression level of P-450MC cDNA.     

Fusion of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae leu2 gene to an Escherichia coli beta-galactosidase gene.

The promoter and translation initiation region of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae leu2 gene was fused to the Escherichia coli beta-galactosidase gene. This fusion located the control region of the leu gene and orientated its direction of expression. When the fusion was placed into yeast cells, beta-galactosidase was expressed under the same regulatory pattern as the original leu2 gene product: its synthesis was repressed in the presence of leucine and threonine. Sensitive chromogenic substrates for beta-galactosidase were used to detect expression in isolated colonies growing on agar medium. Mutant yeast cells with increased beta-galactosidase activity were identified by the color of the colonies they formed. One class of mutants obtained appeared to affect ars1 plasmid maintenance, and another class appeared to affect beta-galactoside uptake.     

Genetic complementation of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae leu2 gene by the Escherichia coli leuB gene.

The leucine operon of Escherichia coli was cloned on a plasmid possessing both E. coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae replication origins. This plasmid, pEH25, transformed leuA, leuB, and leuD auxotrophs of E. coli to prototrophy; it also transformed leu2 auxotrophs of S. cerevisiae to prototrophy. beta-Isopropylmalate dehydrogenase was encoded by the leuB gene of E. coli and the leu2 gene of yeast. Verification that the leuB gene present on pEH26 was responsible for complementing yeast leu2 was obtained by isolating in E. coli several leuB mutations that resided on the plasmid. These mutant leuB- plasmids were no longer capable of complementing leu2 in S. cerevisiae. We conclude that S. cerevisiae is capable of transcribing at least a portion of the polycistronic leu operon of E. coli and can translate a functional protein from at least the second gene of this operon. The yeast Leu+ transformants obtained with pEH25, when cultured in minimal medium lacking leucine, grew with a doubling time three to four times longer than when cultured in medium supplemented with leucine.     

Specific processing of the bacterial beta-lactamase precursor in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Synthesis and processing of the bacterial enzyme beta-lactamase (E.C. 3.5. 2.6) were studied in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The 2-micron DNA vector pADH040-2 containing the yeast ADH1 promoter fused to the bacterial gene was used in order to obtain enhanced synthesis of the bacterial protein in yeast transformants. Both precursor and mature beta-lactamase were shown to be present in yeast cells, the precursor being the major product. The mature enzyme was purified about 500-fold over crude extracts to apparent homogeneity and thus represents nearly 0.2% of the total yeast protein. No difference in specific activity and molecular weight could be observed when compared with the authentic beta-lactamase from Escherichia coli. Specificity of the processing of beta-lactamase in yeast cells was verified by partial amino acid sequence analysis demonstrating the removal of the signal peptide at the correct position.     

Chimeric plasmids for cloning of deoxyribonucleic acid sequences in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Two sets of plasmids, each carrying a Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene and a portion or all of the yeast 2-micron circle linked to the Escherichia coli plasmid pBR322, have been constructed. One of these sets contains a BamHI fragment of S. cerevisiae deoxyribonucleic acid that includes the yeast his3 gene, whereas the other set contains a BamHI fragment of S. cerevisiae that includes the yeast leu2 gene. All plasmids transform S. cerevisiae and E. coli with a high frequency, possess unique restriction endonuclease sites, and are retrievable from both host organisms. Plasmids carrying the 2.4-megadalton EcoRI fragment of the 2-micron circle transform yeast with 2- to 10-fold greater frequency than those carrying the 1.5-megadalton EcoRI fragment of the 2-micron circle. Restriction endonuclease analysis of plasmics retrieved from S. cerevisiae transformed with plasmics carrying the 2.4-megadalton EcoRI fragment showed that in 13 of 96 cases the original plasmic has acquired an additional copy of the 2-mcron circle. These altered plasmids appear to have arisen by means of an interplasmid recombination event while in S. cerevisiae. A clone bank of S. cerevisiae genes based upon one of these composite plasmids has been constructed. By using this bank and selecting directly in S. cerevisiae, the ura3, tyr1, and met2 genes have been cloned.     

Precursor of beta-lactamase is enzymatically inactive. Accumulation of the preprotein in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Synthesis and properties of the bacterial precursor of beta-lactamase (E.C.3.5.2.6) were studied in Saccharomyces cerevisiae transformants. A protease-deficient yeast mutant was transformed with the plasmid pADH040-2 conferring high expression of the bla gene. Besides precisely processed beta-lactamase, transformed yeast cells contained mainly bla precursor up to the amount of 2% of total cellular protein. The precursor was shown to be synthesized on free polysomes in vivo but could be processed with rough microsomal membranes in a cell-free translation system. By applying an isolation procedure using high-salt conditions, the labile precursor could be separated in a native form from the mature beta-lactamase. Thereby it could be shown that the pre-beta-lactamase had virtually no enzymatic activity in contrast to the mature enzyme, which was indistinguishable from bacterial beta-lactamase. Furthermore, the precursor was highly susceptible to proteolytic degradation by trypsin under conditions which did not affect the mature enzyme. Accordingly, the protein conformation of the precursor must be substantially different from that of the authentic beta-lactamase, demonstrating that specific processing and transport of beta-lactamase is associated with directing the protein to a distinct conformation.     

Stability and expression of a plasmid-containing killer toxin cDNA in batch and chemostat cultures of saccharomyces cerevisiae

A chimeric plasmid (pYT760-ADH1) containing the yeast killer toxin-immunity cDNA was transformed into a leucine-histidine mutant (AH22) and into four industrial toxin-sensitive yeasts. The chimeric plasmid was very stable and expressed toxin production (89.5 +/- 4.8% killer cells) in two of the transformed yeasts that contained the 2mu plasmid, but was lost within 10 generations from two other transformed pickle yeasts that did not contain the 2mu plasmid. It suggested that plasmid stability was dependent on the presence of the 2mu plasmid which is naturally present in some yeasts. The plasmid was extremely stable (100% killer cells) and expressed more toxin in the mutant strain AH22. The effects of dilution rate, D(h(-1)) on plasmid stability and toxin expression were studied in transformed AH22 (AH22/T3) and Montrachet 522 (522/T1) wine yeast grown in glucose-limited chemostat cultures. The results show that killer toxin production by AH22/T3 cells increased as a function of D(h(-1)) and that plasmid stability reached 100% at D >/= 0.09 +/- 0.01 h(-1). However, with Montrachet 522/T1 transformed cells, 100% plasmid stability was seen at D >/= 0.18 +/- 0.02. h(-1). We also challenged the AH22/T3 in chemostat culture (D = 0.25 h(-1)) with an equal number of untransformed cells (AH22). Transformed cells dominated the population (100%) within 8-10 h of growth, a time equivalent to two mean residence time.     

A System of Shuttle Vectors and Yeast Host Strains Designed for Efficient Manipulation of DNA in Saccharomyces Cerevisiae

A series of yeast shuttle vectors and host strains has been created to allow more efficient manipulation of DNA in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Transplacement vectors were constructed and used to derive yeast strains containing nonreverting his3, trp1, leu2 and ura3 mutations. A set of YCp and YIp vectors (pRS series) was then made based on the backbone of the multipurpose plasmid pBLUESCRIPT. These pRS vectors are all uniform in structure and differ only in the yeast selectable marker gene used (HIS3, TRP1, LEU2 and URA3). They possess all of the attributes of pBLUESCRIPT and several yeast-specific features as well. Using a pRS vector, one can perform most standard DNA manipulations in the same plasmid that is introduced into yeast.     

Construction of an effective host-vector system for the yeast Saccharomyces exiguus Yp74L-3.

An effective host-vector system specific to the yeast Saccharomyces exiguus Yp74L-3 was constructed to promote the molecular genetic analyses for the yeast. To obtain a stable reversionless host strain, we constructed an S. exiguus strain carrying leu2::ScURA3 by disrupting the S. exiguus LEU2 gene with the S. cerevisiae URA3 gene. A vector plasmid unique to S. exiguus was subsequently developed by inserting both the LEU2 gene and an ARS cloned from S. exiguus into an Escherichia coli phagemid, pUC119. The vector constructed, pTH119 was able to transform the S. exiguus leu2::ScURA3 strain to Leu+ efficiently. The stability of the vector in the S. exiguus host cells resembled that of a YRp-type vector in S. cerevisiae.     

Characterization of rat cytochrome P-450MC synthesized in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Rat cytochrome P-450MC cDNA was expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae AH22, SHY3 and NA87-11A cells under the control of the yeast ADH1 promoter and terminator. Although the three yeast strains transformed with the constructed expression plasmid, pAMC1, contained approximately three copies of the plasmid, the levels of both P-450MC mRNA and the corresponding protein in the AH22 cells carrying plasmid pAMC1 were 1.4- to 1.7-fold and 2-fold higher than in the other two strains, respectively. The P-450MC protein was purified from the microsomal fraction of AH22 cells carrying pAMC1 by a rapid purification method. The apparent molecular weight, chromatographic behavior, spectral properties, substrate specificity and immunochemical properties of the purified P-450MC protein were indistinguishable from those of rat liver P-450MC-I and P-450MC-II (Sasaki, T., et al. (1984) J. Biochem. 96, 117-126). The NH2-terminal amino acid sequence of the purified protein up to 10 residues was the same as those of P-450MC-I and P-450MC-II. In addition, HPLC analysis of the microsomal fraction of AH22 cells containing pAMC1 indicated that the synthesized P-450MC protein corresponds to P-450MC-II, but not P-450MC-I. With another purification method, we obtained the cleaved P-450MC protein which lacked the NH2-terminal 30 amino acids of intact P-450MC. The spectral properties and monooxygenase activities towards benzo(a)pyrene and 7-ethoxycoumarin of the cleaved P-450MC were nearly the same as those of intact P-450MC.     

Improved shuttle vectors for cloning and high-level Cu(2+)-mediated expression of foreign genes in yeast

New yeast episomal vectors having a high degree of utility for cloning and expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae are described. One vector, pYEULlacZ, is based on pUC19 and employs the pUC19 multiple cloning site for the selection of recombinants in Escherichia coli by lacZ inactivation. In addition, the vector contains two genes, URA3 and leu2-d, for selection of the plasmid in ura3 or leu2 yeast strains. The presence of the leu2-d gene appears to promote replication at high copy numbers. The introduction of CUP1 cassettes allows these plasmids to direct Cu(2+)-regulated production of foreign proteins in yeast. We show the production of a helminth antigen as an example of the vector application.     

The presence of a defective LEU2 gene on 2 mu DNA recombinant plasmids of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is responsible for curing and high copy number.

The copy number of 2 mu DNA-derived plasmids in CIR+ Saccharomyces cerevisiae transformants is determined by its selective marker and is usually much lower than that of the endogenous plasmid. Only plasmids containing the leu2 allele of pJDB219, designated as leu2-d, under selective conditions displayed a higher copy number than did endogenous 2 mu DNA and by displacement generated cured cells. Spontaneous loss of 2 mu DNA occurred with a frequency of about 0.02% per generation. Curing plasmids, like pMP78, have copy numbers of 35; noncuring plasmids, like pDB248 or YEp6, have copy numbers of 4 to 8. The 2 mu DNA copy number in strains AH22 and YNN27 were determined to be 40 and 100, respectively. The high copy number of leu2-d-containing plasmids can be explained by its weak expression of less than 5% that of the wild-type LEU2 gene. The leu2-d allele has a deletion of the 5'-end sequence starting from 29 base pairs before the ATG initiation codon, but surprisingly, its expression is still regulated. On YRp7, which contains the chromosomal autonomic replication sequence ARS1, the defective leu2-d allele could not complement a leu2 host strain. This suggests a more stringent control of replication of ARS1-containing plasmids than of 2 mu-containing plasmids.     

Overlap hybridization screening: isolation and characterization of overlapping DNA fragments surrounding the leu2 gene on yeast chromosome III.

A set of four plasmids containing overlapping segments comprising a total of about 30 kbp of cloned DNA from chromosome III of yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) has been isolated and characterized by restriction endonuclease analyses and DNA:DNA hybridizations. Colony hybridization was carried out with labeled pYe(leu2)10, a plasmid carrying the yeast leu2 gene, to a bank of bacterial colonies containing recombinant plasmids constructed from the vector ColE1 and random fragments of yeast DNA. This resulted in the detection of two plasmids, pYe11G4 and pYe40C3, with DNA inserts which partially overlap the original cloned segment and contain additional DNA extending in opposite directions on the chromosome. By carrying out a second round of colony hybridization with pYe40C3, the cloned region was further extended in one direction. A region of DNA that is repeated at least ten times in the yeast genome was identified by hybridization of pYe11G4 to an EcoRI digest of total yeast DNA. The procedure described in this paper should allow the isolation of large sections of chromosomes, including non-transcribed regions, surrounding cloned genes.     

Identification of mutations in the asporogenic yeast Candida tropicalis using intrageneric fusion of protoplasts

The possibility of genetic identification of mutations in asporogenic yeast by the technique of intrageneric fusion of yeast protoplasts of Candida tropicals and Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been demonstrated for Candida tropicals strains G5-9 (Ade- Leu-) and G32-4 (Leu-). The mutations to auxotrophy ade- in the strain G5-9 and leu- in G32-4 of Candida tropicals are allelic to ade2 and leu1 mutations in the genes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast. The allelic character of adenine auxotrophy mutation in Candida tropicals and ade2 mutation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is confirmed by the absence of AIR-carboxylase activity in cellular extract from the strain G5-9.     

高SO2产量啤酒酵母工业菌株的构建

二氧化硫在啤酒中具有抗氧化的重要功能,而在其形成过程中APS激酶(MET14编码)起着非常重要的作用。以二氧化硫产量较高的青岛啤酒酵母(Saccharomyces cerevisiae)YSF-5的总DNA为模板,用PCR方法克隆得到MET14基因。为使目的基因在酿酒酵母中表达,以大肠杆菌-酿酒酵母穿梭质粒YEp352为载体,以PGK1强启动子为调控元件,构建了重组表达质粒pPM,并转化酿酒酵母YS58。转化子在YNB添加亮氨酸、组氨酸和色氨酸的选择性培养基上筛选鉴定,盐酸副玫瑰苯胺法测得转化子的SO2产量是受体菌的2倍左右。在重组表达质粒pPM的基础上添加铜抗性标记基因构建了重组表达质粒pCPM,并转化青岛啤酒工业酵母菌株YSF-38,转化子在YEPD 4mmol/L CuSO4的选择性培养基上筛选鉴定,实验室条件下培养后,测得转化子YSF-38(pCPM)的SO2产量是受体菌的3.2倍。用该转化子在青岛啤酒厂进行小型发酵实验,结果表明在发酵结束时,YSF-38(pCPM)转化子的SO2产量是受体菌的1.4倍。因此,MET14基因的有效表达可以提高啤酒工业酵母的SO2产量。     

Cloning of Lentinus edodes mitochondrial DNA fragment capable of autonomous replication in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Mitochondrial (mt) DNA of the higher basidiomycetes Lentinus edodes with a molecular weight of about 69 kb was partially digested with Sau3AI, cloned with plasmid YIp32 (a hybrid of pBR322 and the yeast leu2 gene) and analyzed for sequences capable of autonomous replication (ARSs) in the eukaryote Saccharomyces cerevisiae. One recombinant plasmid was isolated which contained 3.2 kb fragment of the mtDNA with ARS activity. This plasmid (named pSK52) exhibited a high-frequency yeast transformation and was found to be maintained within the cell as an extrachromosomal element. The stability and copy number properties of pSK52 were similar to those of the recombinant plasmid of YIp32 and S. cerevisiae mt-ARS constructed as a reference. Subcloning experiments were carried out to assess the localization of ARS on the above 3.2 kb fragment, revealing that the fragment contains at least two ARSs.     

Quantitative studies on the viability of yeast protoplasts following dielectrophoresis

Abstract Protoplasts from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Saccharomyces diastaticus were collected in a non-homogeneous alternating electric field. The dependence of the viability of the protoplasts on different conditions of collection was tested by determining the regeneration rates in each case. The parameters varied in collection were the field strength (0.33 kV/cm–6.67 kV/cm), the frequency of the alternating field (1–2 MHz) and the collection time (2–10 min). The introduction of a new type of fusion chamber (meander chamber) permitted, for the first time, quantitative exposure of protoplasts to the electric field as well as their complete transference into the regeneration medium. The regeneration rates of yeast protoplasts collected under those conditions employed for electrofusion did not differ from those of protoplasts which had been maintained under the same experimental conditions but were not subject to the influence of an alternating electric field. The two yeast strains were fused together (collection 1 kV/cm; pulse 15 kV/cm; duration of pulse 40 μs) and the fusion products were introduced into a selection medium for regeneration. The fusion rate was about 4.8 × 10⁻⁴; on average 272 colonies grew on the selection medium for each chamber filling.     

Cloning and Characterization of Yeast LEU4, One of Two Genes Responsible for α-Isopropylmalate Synthesis

By complementation of an alpha-isopropylmalate synthase-negative mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (leu4 leu5), a plasmid was isolated that carried a structural gene for alpha-isopropylmalate synthase. Restriction mapping and subcloning showed that sequences sufficient for complementation of the leu4 leu5 strain were located within a 2.2-kilobase SalI-PvuII segment. Southern transfer hybridization indicated that the cloned DNA was derived intact from the yeast genome. The cloned gene was identified as LEU4 by integrative transformation that caused gene disruption at the LEU4 locus. When this transformation was performed with a LEU4fbr LEU5 strain, the resulting transformants had lost the 5',5',5'-trifluoro-D,L-leucine resistance of the recipient strain but were still Leu+. When it was performed with a LEU4 leu5 recipient, the resulting transformants were Leu-. The alpha-isopropylmalate synthase of a transformant that carried the LEU4 gene on a multicopy plasmid (in a leu5 background) was characterized biochemically. The transformant contained about 20 times as much alpha-isopropylmalate synthase as wild type. The enzyme was sensitive to inhibition by leucine and coenzyme A, was inactivated by antibody generated against alpha-isopropylmalate synthase purified from wild type and was largely confined to the mitochondria. The subunit molecular weight was 65,000-67,000. Limited proteolysis generated two fragments with molecular weights of about 45,000 and 23,000. Northern transfer hybridization showed that the transformant produced large amounts of LEU4-specific RNA with a length of about 2.1 kilonucleotides. The properties of the plasmid-encoded enzyme resemble those of a previously characterized alpha-isopropylmalate synthase that is predominant in wild-type cells. The existence in yeast of a second alpha-isopropylmalate synthase activity that depends on the presence of an intact LEU5 gene is discussed.