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Biomedical subjects

C P Hollenberg

Publications and source records attributed to C P Hollenberg.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

STE50, a novel gene required for activation of conjugation at an early step in mating in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

A new gene, STE50, which plays an essential role in cell differentiation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae was detected and analysed. STE50 expression is not cell type-specific and its expression in MATa and MAT alpha cells is unaffected by pheromones. When present on a high copy number plasmid, STE50 causes supersensitivity to alpha-pheromone, and increases the level of alpha-pheromone-induced transcription of FUS1 in haploid a cells. Mutants bearing either of the two gene disruptions, ste50-1 or ste50-2, are sterile and have a modulated sensitivity to alpha-pheromone. The overexpression of STE4 (G beta) in wild-type cells elicits a constitutive growth arrest signal, however this phenotype is suppressed by a C-terminal truncation mutation in STE50 (ste50-2). In contrast, the constitutive activation of the pheromone response pathway caused by disruption of GPA1 (G alpha) is not suppressed in ste50-2 mutants. The ste50-2 mutation partially suppresses the desensitisation defect of the sst2-1 mutation, and the resulting ste50-2 sst2-1 mutants restore fertility. Our results indicate that the ste50-2 mutant may have a defect in adaptation (hyperadaptation), and suggest a possible interaction of STE50-2 with the G alpha subunit of the G protein.

Amino Acid Sequence

Bacterial beta-lactamase is efficiently secreted in Saccharomyces cerevisiae under control of the invertase signal sequence.

The enzyme beta-lactamase, a secretory protein that is located in the Escherichia coli periplasmic space, can be highly expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Although the protein can cross eukaryotic membranes, it is only inefficiently secreted by yeast. To determine whether the lack of secretion in yeast is due to the nature of the bacterial signal sequence, it was replaced with the signal peptide of yeast invertase. The presence of the invertase signal peptide led to beta-lactamase secretion of up to 75%. The results indicate that the bacterial signal peptide is not functional in yeast, although cleavage can take place at the authentic processing site. The mature enzyme does not interfere with the yeast secretion pathway.

Amino Acid Sequence

Heterologous protein production in yeast.

The exploitation of recombinant DNA technology to engineer expression systems for heterologous proteins represented a major task within the field of biotechnology during the last decade. Yeasts attracted the attention of molecular biologists because of properties most favourable for their use as hosts in heterologous protein production. Yeasts follow the general eukaryotic posttranslational modification pattern of expressed polypeptides, exhibit the ability to secrete heterologous proteins and benefit from an established fermentation technology. Aside from the baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, an increasing number of alternative non-Saccharomyces yeast species are used as expression systems in basic research and for an industrial application. In the following review a selection from the different yeast systems is described and compared.

Gene Expression

Cloning and expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae of the NAD(P)H-dependent xylose reductase-encoding gene (XYL1) from the xylose-assimilating yeast Pichia stipitis.

The XYL1 gene of the yeast Pichia stipitis has been isolated from a genomic library using a specific cDNA probe, and its nucleotide (nt) sequence has been determined. In the 5' noncoding region of the P. stipitis XYL1 gene a TATAAA element (known to be necessary for transcription initiation in most yeast genes) is found at nt -81, and two CCAAT recognition motifs (often referred to as the CCAAT box) are present at nt -146 and -106. The XYL1 encodes a polypeptide of 35,927 Da that constitutes a NADH/NADPH-dependent xylose reductase (XR). The enzyme is part of the xylose-xylulose pathway that is absent or only weakly expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Extensive homology is found to the N terminus of the XR of Pachysolen tannophilus and Candida shehatae. None of the known cofactor binding domains found in many NAD-dependent dehydrogenases are present in the protein. Transformants of S. cerevisiae containing XYL1 of P. stipitis synthesize an active XR. Fusion of XYL1 with the prokaryotic tac promoter leads to a gene that can be expressed in S. cerevisiae and Escherichia coli.

Aldehyde Reductase

Striking structural and functional similarities suggest that intestinal sucrase-isomaltase, human lysosomal alpha-glucosidase and Schwanniomyces occidentalis glucoamylase are derived from a common ancestral gene.

Sequence comparison of the primary structure of the yeast Schwanniomyces occidentalis glucoamylase (GAM) with GAMs in different microorganisms did not reveal significant similarities. By contrast, striking similarities were, surprisingly, found with 3 mammalian secretory and integral membrane proteins: the 2 subunits of intestinal brush border sucrase-isomaltase and human lysosomal alpha-glucosidase. The similarities among these proteins are found as clusters of up to 8 amino acids and distributed all over the protein sequences. The major sequence differences are found in the N-terminal regions accounting, probably, for the different cellular locations of these proteins. The high level of similarities between sucrase, isomaltase, Sch. occidentalis GAM and human lysosomal alpha-glucosidase suggest that these proteins are derived from the same ancestral gene. To our knowledge, this is the first report that describes similarities between a yeast secretory protein and mammalian secretory and integral membrane proteins.

Amino Acid Sequence

Endoglucanase A gene fusion vectors for monitoring protein secretion and glycosylation in yeast.

We have constructed a set of replicating and integrating vectors that allow expression and secretion of Clostridium thermocellum endoglucanase A in Saccharomyces cerevisiae using the alpha-factor or the invertase promoters and secretion signals. The enzyme expressed in yeast was enzymatically active regardless of its degree of glycosylation and was released into the culture medium. One advantage of using this experimental system is that secretion of the reporter enzyme can be detected in individual colonies facilitating the isolation of mutants. A second advantage is that transit through the secretory pathway, as judged from the extent of glycosylation, can be easily monitored by staining for enzyme activity in agar replicas of polyacrylamide gels.

Cellulase

Transcriptional control of yeast phosphofructokinase gene expression.

We here provide the complete nucleotide sequences of the 5'-non-coding regions of the yeast phosphofructokinase genes, PFK1 and PFK2. lacZ fusions of the PFK1 and PFK2 promoters were constructed and a deletion analysis was performed. In contrast to other glycolytic gene promoters, no strong regulatory elements could be found. However, we detected moderate UAS and URS functions. In general, the effects on expression upon deletion of these regions were more pronounced on media containing ethanol than on those containing glucose as carbon sources. Overexpression of either one of the PFK genes led to a decreased enzymatic activity in a wild-type background but did not affect transcription from the promoters.

Amino Acid Sequence

Simultaneous expression of the S and L surface antigens of hepatitis B, and formation of mixed particles in the methylotrophic yeast, Hansenula polymorpha.

An expression system has been developed for the methylotrophic yeast Hansenula polymorpha and used to co-express both the L (preS1-S2-S) and S hepatitis B surface antigens (HBsAg) under the control of strong methanol-inducible promoters derived from the methanol oxidase and from the formate dehydrogenase genes. A unique feature of this H. polymorpha expression system is the possibility of integrating up to 100 copies of an expression cassette via a multimeric integration mechanism. Several multimeric integrants containing various numbers of L and S expression cassettes were constructed to give a spectrum of strains characterized by different L to S ratios. The expression level of S antigen was 5-8% of the total soluble cell protein. Analysis by sucrose and CsCl density gradient centrifugation and by particle-specific immunoassays demonstrated that the synthesized HBsAg spontaneously assembled into composite subviral particles containing both S and L proteins. Only a minor portion of the L protein was found to be glycosylated. These H polymorpha-derived composite particles can be used for the production of a hepatitis B virus vaccine with the potential for improved immunogenicity due to the presence of a wider spectrum of epitopes and negligible glycosylation.

Base Sequence

Heterologous gene expression in Hansenula polymorpha: efficient secretion of glucoamylase.

We have introduced the glucoamylase gene (GAM1) from Schwanniomyces occidentalis into the genome of the methylotrophic yeast Hansenula polymorpha to study the potential of this organism as a host for high-level expression of a heterologous gene encoding a secretory protein. Transformants of H. polymorpha containing GAM1 under control of the formate dehydrogenase (FMD) promoter are stable and efficiently secrete an active glucoamylase that is faithfully processed and modified. Yields of up to 1.4g/l of active enzyme were obtained at cell densities of 100-130 grams dry weight per liter.

Amino Acid Sequence

Galactokinase encoded by GAL1 is a bifunctional protein required for induction of the GAL genes in Kluyveromyces lactis and is able to suppress the gal3 phenotype in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

We have analyzed a GAL1 mutant (gal1-r strain) of the yeast Kluyveromyces lactis which lacks the induction of beta-galactosidase and the enzymes of the Leloir pathway in the presence of galactose. The data show that the K. lactis GAL1 gene product has, in addition to galactokinase activity, a function required for induction of the lactose system. This regulatory function is not dependent on galactokinase activity, as it is still present in a galactokinase-negative mutant (gal1-209). Complementation studies in Saccharomyces cervisiae show that K. lactis GAL1 and gal1-209, but not gal1-r, complement the gal3 mutation. We conclude that the regulatory function of GAL1 in K. lactis soon after induction is similar to the function of GAL3 in S. cerevisiae.

Alleles

Cloning of the Schwanniomyces occidentalis glucoamylase gene (GAM1) and its expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The Schwanniomyces occidentalis glucoamylase (GAM)-encoding gene (GAM1) was isolated from a lambda Charon4A genomic library using synthetic oligodeoxynucleotides as probes. GAM1 contains an ORF of 2874 nucleotides (nt) coding for 958 amino acids. S1 mapping revealed that the transcript has only a very short 5'-untranslated leader of 8-12 nt. Disruption and displacement of the GAM1 gene in Sc. occidentalis resulted in loss of the ability to grow on starch efficiently. The gam1 strains still exhibit low GAM activity suggesting that at least a second weakly expressed GAM-encoding gene (GAM2) is present in Sc. occidentalis. Expression of the Sc. occidentalis GAM1 gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae was achieved after promoter exchange. S. cerevisiae cells transformed with centromere plasmids carrying the GAM1 gene fused to promoters of different S. cerevisiae genes, namely GAL1, PDC1 and ADH1, efficiently secrete GAM and are able to grow with soluble starch as a sole carbon source. The essential enzymatic properties of the GAMs secreted from S. cerevisiae and Sc. occidentalis are identical, although the modifications of the proteins are different.

Amino Acid Sequence

Isolation and characterization of the Pichia stipitis xylitol dehydrogenase gene, XYL2, and construction of a xylose-utilizing Saccharomyces cerevisiae transformant.

A P. stipitis cDNA library in lambda gt11 was screened using antisera against P. stipitis xylose reductase and xylitol dehydrogenase, respectively. The resulting cDNA clones served as probes for screening a P. stipitis genomic library. The genomic XYL2 gene was isolated and the nucleotide sequence of the 1089 bp structural gene, and of adjacent non-coding regions, was determined. The XYL2 open-reading frame codes for a protein of 363 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of 38.5 kDa. The XYL2 gene is actively expressed in S. cerevisiae transformants. S. cerevisiae cells transformed with a plasmid, pRD1, containing both the xylose reductase gene (XYL1) and the xylitol dehydrogenase gene (XYL2), were able to grow on xylose as a sole carbon source. In contrast to aerobic glucose metabolism, S. cerevisiae XYL1-XYL2 transformants utilize xylose almost entirely oxidatively.

Alcohol Oxidoreductases

pdc1(0) mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae give evidence for an additional structural PDC gene: cloning of PDC5, a gene homologous to PDC1.

The PDC1 gene coding for a pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC; EC 4.1.1.1) was deleted from the Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome. The resulting pdc1(0) mutants were able to grow on glucose and still contained 60 to 70% of the wild-type PDC activity. Two DNA fragments with sequences homologous to that of the PDC1 gene were cloned from the yeast genome. One of the cloned genes (PDC5) was expressed at high rates predominantly in pdc1(0) strains and probably encodes the remaining PDC activity in these strains. Expression from the PDC1 promoter in PDC1 wild-type and pdc1(0) strains was examined by the use of two reporter genes. Deletion of PDC1 led to increased expression of the two reporter genes regardless of whether the fusions were integrated into the genome or present on autonomously replicating plasmids. The results suggested that this effect was due to feedback regulation of the PDC1 promoter-driven expression in S. cerevisiae pdc1(0) strains. The yeast PDC1 gene was expressed in Escherichia coli, leading to an active PDC. This result shows that the PDC1-encoded subunit alone can form an active tetramer without yeast-specific processing steps.

Blotting, Northern

Analysis of the alpha-amylase gene of Schwanniomyces occidentalis and the secretion of its gene product in transformants of different yeast genera.

We have cloned and characterized the alpha-amylase gene (AMY1) of the yeast Schwanniomyces occidentalis. A cosmid gene library of S. occidentalis DNA was screened in Saccharomyces cerevisiae for alpha-amylase secretion. The positive clone contained a DNA fragment harbouring an open reading frame of 1536 nucleotides coding for a 512-amino-acid polypeptide with a calculated Mr of 56,500. The deduced amino acid sequence reveals significant similarity to the sequence of the Saccharomycopsis fibuligera and Aspergillus oryzae alpha-amylases. The AMY l gene was found to be expressed from its original promoter in S. cerevisiae, Kluyveromyces lactis and Schizo-saccharomyces pombe leading to an active secreted gene product and thus enabling the different yeast transformants to grow on starch as a sole carbon source.

Amino Acid Sequence