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Biomedical subjects

L S Klig

Publications and source records attributed to L S Klig.

21 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Isolation of the yeast structural gene for the membrane-associated enzyme phosphatidylserine synthase.

The structural gene (CHO1) for phosphatidylserine synthase (CDPdiacylglycerol:L-serine O-phosphatidyltransferase, EC 2.7.8.8) was isolated by genetic complementation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae from a bank of yeast genomic DNA on a chimeric plasmid. The cloned DNA (4.0 kilobases long) was shown to represent a unique sequence in the yeast genome. The DNA sequence on an integrative plasmid was shown to recombine into the CHO1 locus, confirming its genetic identity. The cho1 yeast strain transformed with this gene on an autonomously replicating plasmid had significantly increased activity of the regulated membrane-associated enzyme phosphatidylserine synthase. Partial purification of phosphatidylserine synthase from microsomes of this transformed strain confirmed that the membrane-bound enzyme was overproduced 6- to 7-fold as compared with the wild-type strain. The strain also synthesized the product phospholipid, phosphatidylserine, at an increased rate. The transformed strain had altered proportions of a variety of other phospholipids, suggesting that their synthesis is affected by the rate of synthesis of phosphatidylserine in yeast.

CDPdiacylglycerol-Serine O-Phosphatidyltransferase↗

Yeast mutant defective in phosphatidylcholine synthesis.

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae opi3-3 mutant was shown to be defective in the synthesis of phosphatidylcholine via methylation of phosphatidylethanolamine. The opi3-3 mutant was isolated on the basis of an inositol excretion phenotype and was not auxotrophic for choline. Inositol, but not choline, stimulated growth of the mutant. The opi3-3 mutation was recessive and was genetically linked to the ino4 locus. When grown in the absence of exogenous choline, the opi3-3 mutant had a phospholipid composition consisting of 2 to 3% phosphatidylcholine compared with 40 to 50% in wild-type strains. In addition, the mutant accumulated elevated amounts of two intermediates, phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine and phosphatidyldimethylethanolamine. The incorporation of label from [methyl-14C]methionine into phosphatidylcholine was reduced 80 to 90% in the mutant compared with wild-type strains. However, label was recovered in the intermediates phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine and phosphatidyldimethylethanolamine. The mutant is believed to be defective in the third and possibly the second methylation reaction in the formation of phosphatidylcholine from phosphatidylethanolamine. The first methylation reaction appeared to be occurring at normal or even elevated levels. Based upon incorporation of choline into phosphatidylcholine, it is concluded that the opi3-3 mutant has no defect in the synthesis of phosphatidylcholine from exogenous choline. Furthermore, phosphatidylcholine represents over 25% of the phospholipid composition of the mutant when it is grown in the presence of exogenous choline.

Choline↗

Inositol biosynthesis: Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae genes share common regulation.

The Candida albicans inositol biosynthetic gene and its regulation have been studied. The gene, CalNO1, was cloned on a multicopy vector by complementation of a Saccharomyces cerevisae mutant strain. Southern blot analysis established that the cloned DNA was C. albicans genomic DNA in origin; neither rearrangements nor pseudogenes were evident. Blot hybridization analysis using RNA isolated from C. albicans revealed that a single RNA species (1.8 kilobases) was homologous to the cloned DNA fragment. The steady-state levels of these transcripts were shown to be regulated in response to inositol in the growth media. In addition, the steady-state levels of the RNA encoded by the cloned C. albicans DNA present in S. cerevisiae on a plasmid (YRpCalNO1) were regulated in response to exogenously provided inositol. The cloned C. albicans DNA fragment was shown to restore inositol-1-phosphate synthase activity to a S. cerevisiae mutant strain defective in this enzyme. This activity was also shown to be regulated in response to the presence of inositol in the growth media.

Blotting, Northern↗