Isolation of the DLD gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae encoding the mitochondrial enzyme D-lactate ferricytochrome c oxidoreductase

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae the utilization of lactate occurs via specific oxidation of l- and d-lactate to pyruvate catalysed by l-lactate ferricytochrome c oxidoreductase (L-LCR) (EC 1.1.2.3) encoded by the CYB2 gene, and d-lactate ferricytochrome c oxidoreductase (D-LCR) (EC 1.1.2.4), respectively. We selected several lactate^? pyruvate⁺ mutants in a cyb2 genetic background. Two of them were devoid of D -LCR activity (dld mutants, belonging to the same complementation group). The mutation mapped in the structural gene. This was demonstrated by a gene dosage effect and by the thermosensitivity of the enzyme activity of thermosensitive revertants. The DLD gene was cloned by complementation for growth on d-, l-lactate in the strain WWF18-3D, carrying both a CYB2 disruption and the dld mutation. The minimal complete complementing sequence was localized by subcloning experiments. From the sequence analysis an open reading frame (ORF) was identified that could encode a polypeptide of 576 amino-acids, corresponding to a calculated molecular weight of 64000 Da. The deduced protein sequence showed significant homology with the previously described microsomal flavoprotein l-gulono-γ-lactone oxidase isolated from Rattus norvegicus, which catalyses the terminal step of l-ascorbic acid biosynthesis. These results are discussed together with the role of L-LCR and D-LCR in lactate metabolism of S. cerevisiae.     

Isolation of the DLD gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae encoding the mitochondrial enzyme D-lactate ferricytochrome c oxidoreductase

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae the utilization of lactate occurs via specific oxidation of l- and d-lactate to pyruvate catalysed by l-lactate ferricytochrome c oxidoreductase (L-LCR) (EC 1.1.2.3) encoded by the CYB2 gene, and d-lactate ferricytochrome c oxidoreductase (D-LCR) (EC 1.1.2.4), respectively. We selected several lactate^– pyruvate⁺ mutants in a cyb2 genetic background. Two of them were devoid of D -LCR activity (dld mutants, belonging to the same complementation group). The mutation mapped in the structural gene. This was demonstrated by a gene dosage effect and by the thermosensitivity of the enzyme activity of thermosensitive revertants. The DLD gene was cloned by complementation for growth on d-, l-lactate in the strain WWF18-3D, carrying both a CYB2 disruption and the dld mutation. The minimal complete complementing sequence was localized by subcloning experiments. From the sequence analysis an open reading frame (ORF) was identified that could encode a polypeptide of 576 amino-acids, corresponding to a calculated molecular weight of 64000 Da. The deduced protein sequence showed significant homology with the previously described microsomal flavoprotein l-gulono--lactone oxidase isolated from Rattus norvegicus, which catalyses the terminal step of l-ascorbic acid biosynthesis. These results are discussed together with the role of L-LCR and D-LCR in lactate metabolism of S. cerevisiae.     

The Pasteur effect and catabolite repression in an oxidative yeast,Kluyveromyces lactis

The presence of the Pasteur effect in Kluyveromyces lactis grown in glucose was shown by azide-stimulated glucose fermentation. Extracts from these cells contained ATP-sensitive phosphofructokinase activity. Cells grown on succinate oxidized glucose slowly at first without azide-stimulated rates of fermentation. Phosphofructokinase in these cells was ATP-insensitive. The activity of NAD+-isocitrate dehydrogenase in cell extracts did not require AMP activation. These results suggested the presence of a Pasteur effect in glucose-grown but not in succinate-grown K. lactis, mediated by (a) ATP inhibition of phosphofructokinase (b) possibly via feedback control of glucose transport, but not by AMP activation of isocitrate dehydrogenase. Azide inhibition of the Pasteur effect during growth of the cells did not lead to catabolite repression of respiratory activity. The results therefore suggest that the Pasteur effect does not inhibit the development of a Crabtree effect in oxidative yeasts.     

Carbon catabolite repression of the Aspergillus nidulans xlnA gene

Expression of the Aspergillus nidulans 22 kDa endoxylanase gene, xlnA , is controlled by at least three mechanisms: specific induction by xylan or xylose; carbon catabolite repression (CCR); and regulation by ambient pH. Deletion analysis of xlnA upstream sequences has identified two positively acting regions: one that mediates specific induction by xylose; and another that mediates the influence of ambient pH and contains two PacC consensus binding sites. The extreme derepressed mutation creA^d 30 results in considerable, although not total, loss of xlnA glucose repressibility, indicating a major role for CreA in its CCR. Three consensus CreA binding sites are present upstream of the structural gene. Point mutational analysis using reporter constructs has identified a single site, xlnA .C1, that is responsible for direct CreA repression in vivo . Using the creA^d 30 derepressed mutant background, our results indicate the existence of indirect repression by CreA.     

Identification and characterization of a novel glucose-phosphorylating enzyme in Kluyveromyces lactis

Recent data suggest that hexokinase KlHxk1 (Rag5) represents the only glucose-phosphorylating enzyme of Kluyveromyces lactis, which also is required for glucose signalling. Long-term growth studies of a K. lactis rag5 mutant, however, reveal slow growth on glucose, but no growth on fructose. Isolation of the permissive glucose-phosphorylating enzyme, mass spectrometric tryptic peptide analysis and determination of basic kinetic data identify a novel glucokinase (KlGlk1) encoded by ORF KLLA0C01,155g. In accordance with the growth characteristics of the rag5 mutant, KlGlk1 phosphorylates glucose, but fails to act on fructose as a sugar substrate. Multiple sequence alignment indicates the presence of at least one glucokinase gene in all sequenced yeast genomes.     

Role of the mitochondrial protein synthesis is the catabolite repression of the petite-negative yeast K.lactis.

The effect of glucose in two different strains of the petite-negative yeast $\text{K. lactis}$ is studied. The results obtained show that one strain ($\text{K. lactis}\text{CBS 2359}$) is glucose repressible for Glutamate Dehydrogenase and β-Galactosidase, whereas the other one (CBS 2360) is almost completely insensitive. The effect of Erythromycin on expression of catabolite repression in CBS 2359 is also analyzed. The results show that the dependence of catabolite repression on mitochondrial protein synthesis reflect the degree of interaction between the nuclear and mitochondrial compartments.     

Genetic and biochemical characterization of the galactose gene cluster in Kluyveromyces lactis.

We isolated and identified mutant strains of Kluyveromyces lactis that are defective for the Leloir pathway enzymes galactokinase, transferase, and epimerase, and we termed these loci GAL1 , GAL7 , and GAL10 , respectively. Genetic data indicate that these three genes are tightly linked, having an apparent order of GAL7 - GAL10 - GAL1 . This same gene order has been observed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Strains harboring gal7 mutations have elevated levels of beta-galactosidase, coded by an unlinked gene, galactokinase, and epimerase activities under uninduced conditions. We investigated the genetic basis of this constitutive gene expression and found no recombinants between the constitutive and Gal- phenotypes among 76 tetrads, suggesting that either GAL7 or a tightly linked gene codes for a regulatory function. This is the second gene that has been shown to specifically coregulate expression of the genes coding for beta-galactosidase and the Leloir pathway enzymes.     

KlADH3, a gene encoding a mitochondrial alcohol dehydrogenase, affects respiratory metabolism and cytochrome content in Kluyveromyces lactis

A Kluyveromyces lactis strain, harbouring KlADH3 as the unique alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) gene, was used in a genetic screen on allyl alcohol to isolate mutants deregulated in the expression of this gene. Here we report the characterization of some mutants that lacked or had highly reduced amounts of KlAdh3p activity; in addition, these mutants showed alterations in glucose metabolism, reduced respiration and reduced cytochrome content. Our results confirm that the KlAdh3p activity contributes to the reoxidation of cytosolic NAD(P)H feeding the respiratory chain through KlNdi1p, the mitochondrial internal transdehydrogenase. The low levels of KlAdh3p in two of the mutants were associated with mutations in KlSDH1, one of the genes of complex II, suggesting signalling between the respiratory chain and expression of the KlADH3 gene.     

扣囊复膜孢酵母α-淀粉酶基因在乳酸克鲁维酵母中的表达与重组酶性质

通过PCR方法从扣囊复膜孢酵母基因组DNA中克隆获得α-淀粉酶基因成熟肽编码区（SfA）,插入乳酸克鲁维酵母表达载体pKLACl的d因子信号肽下游,构建重组表达载体pKLACl-SfA。重组载体转化乳酸克鲁维酵母GG799,筛选获得表达α-淀粉酶SfA水平较高的重组茵。酶活检测和SDS．PAGE电泳检测均显示,重组茵分泌重组酶SfA到发酵液中。酶学性质研究表明：SfA最适温度为45℃,最适pH5．0,在pH4．5～5．5、50℃条件下保持稳定。Ca2＋等二价金属离子对SfA酶活有激活作用,EDTA强烈的抑制SfA活性。HPLC分析显示SfA水解糊精获得麦芽寡糖和少量葡萄糖,其中麦芽三糖是主要产物,占水解产物总量的52％。     

Structure of Kluyveromyces lactis subtelomeres: duplications and gene content

We have constructed a map of the duplicated regions of Kluyveromyces lactis subtelomeres. Seven out of 12 subtelomeres contain an almost identical 9 kb long segment starting from the end. This segment is bordered by a long terminal repeat element. Two of the subtelomeres share sequence similarity that extends over a total of 20 kb. The other subtelomeres also contain duplicated regions of 1-6 kb. Nonduplicated regions contain unique genes and genes from paralog families. All duplicated segments are in the same orientation with respect to the telomere, probably as a result of genetic exchange. We map the only two copies of retrotransposons in the genome, in subtelomeres. Low-complexity gene sequences that encode threonine- and serine-rich peptides are associated with the subtelomeres of K. lactis, as in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The ubiquity of these sequences in hemiascomycete genomes, and the propensity they have to encode proteins with extracellular localization, make these genes ideal candidates for fast evolving 'contingency' genes involved in the adaptation of a species to its environment.