Null and electrophoretic mobility mutants in the structural gene for L-lactate dehydrogenase of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

A mutant lacking L-lactate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.2.3) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was isolated by its inability to grow on minimal medium with L-lactate as a carbon source. A simple activity gel assay for visualization of this enzyme and the two D-lactate dehydrogenases in this organism (EC 1.1.2.4 and 1.1.1.28) was developed. This enabled us to screen spontaneous and ethylmethanesulfonate-induced back mutants for electrophoretic mobility. Two mutants with a mobility faster than that of the wild type were isolated, and proved to be allelic to the L-lactate dehydrogenase negative mutant.