• Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.43 no.1
• /
• pp.44-48
• /
• 2005

In our previous study, the first structural gene (GGTI) encoding ${\gamma}-glutamyl$ transpeptidase was cloned and characterized from the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, and its transcription, using the GGTI-lacZ fusion gene, containing the 1,085 bp upstream region from the translational initiation point, was found to be enhanced by sodium nitroprusside and L-buthionine-(S,R)-sulfoximine (BSO). In the present work, regulation of the GGTI gene was further elucidated. Non-fermentable carbon sources, such as acetate and ethanol, markedly enhanced the synthesis of ${beta}-galactosidase$ from the GGTI-lacZ fusion gene. However, its induction by non-fermentable carbon sources appeared to be independent of the presence of the Pap1 protein. Nitrogen starvation also gave rise to induction of GGTI gene expression in a Pap1-independent manner. The three additional fusion plasmids, carrying 754, 421 and 156 bp regions, were constructed. The sequence responsible for the induction by non-fermentable carbon sources and nitrogen starvation was identified to exist within a -421 bp region of the GGTI gene. Taken together, the S. pombe GGTI gene is regulated by non-fermentable carbon sources and nitrogen starvation.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.16 no.1
• /
• pp.84-91
• /
• 2006

A Saccharomyces cerevisiae pgs1 nulI mutant, which is deficient with phosphatidyl glycerol (PG) and cardiolipin (CL) biosynthesis, grows well on most fermentable carbon sources, but fails to grow on non-fermentable carbon sources such as glycerol, ethanol, and lactate. This mutant also cannot grow on galactose medium as the sole carbon source. We found that the incorporation of $[^{14}C]-galactose$, which is the first step of the galactose metabolic pathway (Leloir pathway), into the pgs 1 null mutant cell was extremely repressed. Exogenously expressed PGS1 (YCpPGS1) under indigenous promoter could completely restore the pgs1 growth defect on non-fermentable carbon sources, and dramatically recovered $[^{14}C]-galactose$ incorporation into the pgs1 mutant cell. However, PGS1 expression under the GALl promoter $(YEpP_{GAL1}-PGS1myc)$ could not complement pgs1 mutation, and the GAL2-lacZ fusion gene $(YEpP_{GAL2}-lacZ)$ also did not exhibit its $\beta-galactosidase$ activity in the pgs1 mutant. In wild-type yeast, antimycin $A(1\;{\mu}g/ml)$, which inhibits mitochondrial complex III, severely repressed not only the expression of the GAL2-lacZ fusion gene, but also uptake of $[^{14}C]-galactose$. However, exogenously expressed PGS1 partially relieved these inhibitory effects of antimycin A in both the pgs1 mutant and wild-type yeast, although it could not basically restore the growth defect on galactose by antimycin A. These results suggest that the PGSI gene product has an important role in utilization of galactose by Gal genes, and that intact mitochondrial function with PGS1 should be required for galactose incorporation into the Leloir pathway. The PGS1 gene might provide a clue to resolve the historic issue about the incapability of galactose with deteriorated mitochondrial function.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.38 no.5
• /
• pp.609-618
• /
• 2005

$\gamma$-Glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT, EC 2.3.2.2.) catalyzes the transfer of the $\gamma$-glutamyl moiety from $\gamma$-glutamyl containing ompounds, notably glutathione (GSH), to acceptor amino acids and peptides. A second gene (GGTII) encoding GGT was previously isolated and characterized from the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. In the present work, the GGTII-lacZ fusion gene was constructed and used to study the transcriptional regulation of the S. pombe GGTII gene. The synthesis of $\beta$-galactosidase from the GGTII-lacZ fusion gene was significantly enhanced by NO-generating SNP and hydrogen peroxide in the wild type yeast cells. The GGTII mRNA level was increased in the wild-type S. pombe cells treated with SNP. However, the induction by SNP was abolished in the Pap1-negative S. pombe cells, implying that the induction by SNP of GGTII is mediated by Pap1. Fermentable carbon sources, such as glucose (at low concentrations), lactose and sucrose, as a sole carbon source, enhanced the synthesis of $\beta$-galactosidase from the GGTII-lacZ fusion gene in wild type KP1 cells but not in Pap1-negative cells. Glycerol, a non-fermentable carbon source, was also able to induce the synthesis of $\beta$-galactosidase from the fusion gene, but other non-fermentable carbon sources such as acetate and ethanol were not. Transcriptional induction of the GGTII gene by fermentable carbon sources was also confirmed by increased GGTII mRNA levels in the yeast cells grown with them. Nitrogen starvation was also able to induce the synthesis of $\beta$-galactosidase from the GGTII-lacZ fusion gene in a Pap1-dependent manner. On the basis of the results, it is concluded that the S. pombe GGTII gene is regulated by oxidative and metabolic stress.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.74-82
• /
• 2005

Glutaredoxins (Grxs) are thioloxidoreductases which are required for maintaining thiol/disulfide equilibrium in living cells. The Grx3 gene, which encodes one of the three monothiol Grxs in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, was characterized, and its transcriptional regulation studied. Genomic DNA encoding Grx3 was isolated by PCR, and a plasmid pTT3 carrying this DNA was produced. The DNA sequence has 1,267 bp, which would encode a monothiol Grx of 166 amino acids with a molecular mass of 18.3 kDa. The putative protein has 27% homology with Grx5, and contains many hydrophobic amino acid residues in its N-terminal region. S. pombe cells harboring pTT3 had increased Grx activity and enhanced survival on minimal medium plates containing aluminum (5 mM), BSO (0.05 mM), menadione (0.01 mM) or cadmium (0.2 mM). The 568 bp upstream region of Grx3 was fused into the promoterless b-galactosidase gene of the shuttle vector YEp367R to generate fusion plasmid pMJS10. Potassium chloride (KCl) and metals including aluminum and cadmium enhanced the synthesis of ${\beta}$-galactosidase from the fusion gene. The synthesis of ${\beta}$-galactosidase was also enhanced, in a Pap1-dependent manner, by fermentable carbon sources such as glucose (at low concentrations) and sucrose, but not by non-fermentable carbon sources such as ethanol and acetate. Grx3 mRNA increased in response to treatment with BSO. These observations indicate that S. pombe Grx3 is involved in the response to stress, and is regulated by stress.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.13 no.6
• /
• pp.933-942
• /
• 2003

CoenzymeQ is a quinone derivative with a long isoprenoid side chain. It transports electrons in the respiratory chain located in the inner mitochondrial membrane of eukaryotes and the plasma membrane of prokaryotes. It also functions as an antioxidant. Saccharomyces cerevisine coq mutants, that are deficient coenzyme Q biosynthesis fail to aerobically grow. They are not able to grow on non-fermentable carbon sources, such as glycerol, either The putative $coq^{-7}$ gene involved in coenzyme Q biosynthesis of Neurospora crassa was cloned and used for complementation of S. cerevisiae coq7 mutant. The predicted amino acid sequence of N. crassa COQ7 showed about 58% homology with Coq7p of S. cerevisiae. The growth rate of S. cerevisiae $coq^7$ mutant transformed with the N. crassa $coq^{-7}$ gene was restored to the wild-type level. The complemented 5. cerevisiae strain was able to grow with glycerol as a sole carbon source and showed less sensitivities to linolenic acid, a polyunsaturated fatty acid.