Gene Cloning and Nucleotide Sequence of Human Dihydrolipoamide Dehydrogenase-Binding Protein

The pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC), a member of $\alpha$-keto acid dehydrogenase complex, catalyzes the oxidative decarboxylation of pyruvate with the formation of $CO_2$, acetyl-CoA, NADH, and $H^+$. This complex contains multiple copies of three catalytic components including pyruvate dehydrogenase (E1), dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase (E2), and dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (E3). Two regulatory components (E1-kinase and phospho-E1 phosphatase) and functionally less-understood protein (protein X, E3BP) are also involved in the formation of the complex. In this study, we have partially cloned the gene for E3BP in human. Nine putative clones were isolated by human genomic library screening with 1.35 kb fragment of E3BP cDNA as a probe. For investigation of cloned genes, Southern blot analysis and the construction of the restriction map were performed. One of the isolated clones, E3BP741, has a 3 kb-SacI fragment, which contains 200 bp region matched with E3BP cDNA sequences. The matched DNA sequence encodes the carboxyl-terminal portion of lipoyl-bearing domain and hinge region of human E3BP. Differences between yeast E3BP and mammalian E3BP coupled with the remarkable similarity between mammalian E2 and mammalian E3BP were confirmed from the comparison of the nucleotide sequence and the deduced amino acid sequence in the cloned E3BP. Cloning of human E3BP gene and analysis of the gene structure will facilitate the understanding of the role(s) of E3BP in mammalian PDC.