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J A van den Berg

Publications and source records attributed to J A van den Berg.

16 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

Localization of the dominant flocculation genes FLO5 and FLO8 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae three dominant flocculation genes, FLO1, FLO5 and FLO8 have been described. Until now only the FLO1 gene, which is located at chromosome I, has been cloned and sequenced. FLO5 and FLO8 were previously localized at chromosomes I and VIII respectively (Vezinhet, F., Blondin, B. and Barre, P. (1991). Mapping of the FLO5 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae by transfer of a chromosome during cytoduction. Biotechnol. Lett. 13, 47-52; Yamashita, I. and Fukui, S. (1983). Mating signals control expression of both starch fermentation genes and a novel flocculation gene FLO8 in the yeast Saccharomyces. Agric. Biol. Chem. 47, 2889-2896). This was not in agreement with our results. Here, we report the location of FLO5 and FLO8 on chromosomes VIII and I respectively. By induced chromosome loss and genetic mapping, the FLO5 gene was localized at the right end of chromosome VIII approximately 34 cM centromere distal of PET3. This is part of the region that is present both at chromosome I and chromosome VIII. The location of FLO5 in this area of chromosome VIII made it necessary to re-evaluate the localization of FLO8, which was previously thought to occur in this region. Both genetic and physical mapping showed that FLO8 is allelic to FLO1. Hence, there are only two known dominant flocculation genes, FLO1 and FLO5. Analysis of the nucleotide sequence of chromosome VIII of a non-flocculent strain revealed an open reading frame encoding a putative protein that is approximately 96% identical to the Flo1 protein. This suggests that both dominant flocculation genes encode similar, cell wall-associated, proteins with the same function in the flocculation mechanism.

Chromosome Mapping↗
PubMed1995

Transcriptional regulation of flocculation genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Northern analysis showed that DNA from the flocculation gene FLO1 hybridized to mRNA molecules of 4.8 kb. This transcript was specific for the FLO1 gene at the right end of chromosome I since disruption of this gene resulted in the disappearance of the transcript. We further found an absolute correlation between flocculation and the presence of transcripts hybridizing to FLO1 DNA, both in various flocculent and non-flocculent strains and in cells from the non-flocculating and flocculating stages of growth. In all cases transcripts were present in flocculating and absent from non-flocculating cultures. From these results we conclude that the FLO1 gene is transcriptionally regulated. Mutations in TUP1 or SSN6 cause flocculation. Several transcripts hybridizing to FLO1 DNA were present in the mutants but not in the corresponding wild-type strains. Disruption of the FLO1 gene in the tup1 and ssn6 strains showed that one of the transcripts corresponded to the FLO1 gene. Disruption of FLO1 did not abolish flocculation completely but only reduced it, indicating that at least two flocculation genes, including FLO1, are activated or derepressed by mutations in the TUP1/SSN6 regulatory cascade.

Flocculation↗
PubMed1994

Promoter analysis of the PDA1 gene encoding the E1 alpha subunit of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The location and sequence of the PDA1 gene, encoding the E1 alpha subunit of the pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) complex from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, were determined. The PDA1 gene was located on a 6.2 kb fragment of chromosome V, approximately 18 kb centromere distal to RAD3. Consistent with this, the PDA1 gene was genetically mapped at 4 cM from RAD3. A part of the 6.2 kb fragment of chromosome V was sequenced. The nucleotide sequence contained the PDA1 open reading frame and the entire putative promoter. Computer analysis revealed a putative GCN4 binding motif in the PDA1 promoter. The presence of transcriptional elements was experimentally determined by deletion analysis. To this end, ExoIII deletions were constructed in the 5' to 3' direction of the PDA1 promoter and effects on transcription were determined by Northern analysis. Transcription was unaffected upon deletion to position -190 relative to the ATG start codon. Deletions from position -148 and beyond, however, reduced promoter activity at least 40-fold. Apparently the 42 bp between nucleotides -190 and -148 contain an element essential for transcription. Inactivation of the PDA1 promoter could not be attributed to deletions of a recognizable TATA element or any known yeast regulatory motifs. The possible role of the CCCTT sequence present in the 42 bp region and also in the promoters of the other genes encoding subunits of the PDH complex is discussed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1993

Regulation of the PDA1 gene encoding the E1 alpha subunit of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Expression of the PDA1 gene encoding the E1 alpha subunit of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDH complex) and activity of the complex were investigated in cells grown under several conditions. Comparable amounts of PDA1 mRNA and E1 alpha subunit were detected in cells from batch and chemostat cultures grown on various carbon sources, showing constitutive expression of PDA1 at the transcriptional and translational levels. Induction of the regulatory GCN4 mechanism upon histidine starvation, using the anti-metabolite 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole, increased the levels of PDA1 mRNA by approximately 40%. However, a corresponding increase of E1 alpha concentration or activity of the PDH complex could not be detected. Hence, expression of the PDA1 gene is only regulated to a small extent, if at all, by the GCN4 mechanism. Contrary to the constant levels of PDA1 mRNA and E1 alpha subunit in both batch and chemostat cultures, the specific activity of the PDH complex varied with the culture conditions. The activity of the PDH complex in chemostat cultures was approximately two-threefold higher than in batch cultures grown on the same carbon sources. Overproduction of the E1 alpha subunit in batch cultures resulted in a two-threefold increase in the activity of the PDH complex. Taken together, these results indicate that the activity of the PDH complex is mainly regulated by post-translational modification of the E1 alpha subunit. Expression of PDA1 and activity of the PDH complex were also detected in cultures grown under conditions where no physiological significance of the PDH complex was expected, i.e. during anaerobic growth on glucose or aerobic growth on ethanol. Apparently, the switch from oxidative growth to fermentation occurs without much effect on the PDH complex. These observations suggest that the PDH complex has an alternative function besides sugar catabolism.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1993

Physical localization of the flocculation gene FLO1 on chromosome I of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The genetics of flocculation in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae are poorly understood despite the importance of this property for strains used in industry. To be able to study the regulation of flocculation in yeast, one of the genes involved, FLO1, has been partially cloned. The identity of the gene was confirmed by the non-flocculent phenotype of cells in which the C-terminal part of the gene had been replaced by the URA3 gene. Southern blots and genetic crosses showed that the URA3 gene had integrated at the expected position on chromosome I. A region of approximately 2 kb in the middle of the FLO1 gene was consistently deleted during propagation in Escherichia coli and could not be isolated. Plasmids containing the incomplete gene, however, were still able to cause weak flocculation in a non-flocculent strain. The 3' end of the FLO1 gene was localized at approximately 24 kb from the right end of chromosome I, 20 kb centromere-proximal to PHO11. Most of the newly isolated chromosome I sequences also hybridized to chromosome VIII DNA, thus extending the homology between the right end of chromosome I and chromosome VIII to approximately 28 kb.

Chromosome Mapping↗
PubMed1993

Sequence of the open reading frame of the FLO1 gene from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The cloned part of the flocculation gene FLO1 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Teunissen, A.W.R.H., van den Berg, J.A. and Steensma, H.Y. (1993). Physical localization of the flocculation gene FLO1 on chromosome I of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Yeast, in press) has been sequenced. The sequence contains a large open reading frame of 2685 bp. The amino acid sequence of the putative protein reveals a serine- and threonine-rich C-terminus (46%), the presence of repeated sequences and a possible secretion signal at the N-terminus. Although the sequence is not complete (we assume the missing fragment consists of repeat units), these data strongly suggest that the protein is located in the cell wall, and thus may be directly involved in the flocculation process.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1993

The nucleotide sequence of a 2.1 kb fragment from chromosome VI of Saccharomyces cerevisiae identifies a tRNA(Gly) gene, part of a delta element and a palindromic sequence.

The nucleotide sequence was determined of a 2.1 kb DNA fragment located at approximately 35 kb to the right of the centromere of chromosome VI from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Analysis revealed the presence of a tRNA(GLy) gene, part of a delta element and a remarkable palindromic sequence. The longest open reading frame found encodes a putative protein of 195 amino acids. Although the fragment was isolated by hybridization to a human diacylglycerol kinase cDNA, no evidence was obtained for the presence of a gene encoding diacylglycerol kinase.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1993

The consensus sequence of Kluyveromyces lactis centromeres shows homology to functional centromeric DNA from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The nucleotide sequences of five of the six centromeres of the yeast Kluyveromyces lactis were determined. Mutual comparison of these sequences led to the following consensus: a short highly conserved box (5'-ATCACGTGA-3') flanked by an AT-rich (+/- 90%) stretch of +/- 160 bp followed by another conserved box (5'-TNNTTTATGTTTCCGAAAATTAATAT-3'). These three elements were named KlCDEI, KlCDEII, and KlCDEIII respectively, by analogy with the situation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In addition, a second 100 bp AT-rich (+/- 90%) element, named KlCDE0, was found +/- 150 bp upstream of KlCDEI. The sequences of both KlCDEI and KlCDEIII are highly conserved between K. lactis and S. cerevisiae; however, centromeres of K. lactis do not function in S. cerevisiae and vice versa. The most obvious differences between the centromeres of the two yeast species are the length of the AT-rich CDEII, which is 161-164 bp in K. lactis versus 78-86 bp in S. cerevisiae and the presence in K. lactis of KlCDE0, which is not found in S. cerevisiae.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Characterization of Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutants lacking the E1 alpha subunit of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex.

Pyruvate dehydrogenase mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae were isolated by disruption of the PDA1 gene. To this end, the PDA1 gene encoding the E1 alpha subunit of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex was replaced by the dominant Tn5ble marker. Disruption of the PDA1 gene abolished production of the E1 alpha subunit and pyruvate dehydrogenase activity. Two additional phenotypes were observed in the Pdh-mutants: (a) a reduced growth rate in glucose medium which was partially complemented by the amino acid leucine; (b) an increase in formation of petites which lack mitochondrial DNA [rho0], during growth on glucose. Both phenotypes were shown to be a result of inactivation of the PDA1 gene. Explanations for these phenotypes are discussed.

DNA Transposable Elements↗
PubMed1992

Characterization of the yeast BMH1 gene encoding a putative protein homologous to mammalian protein kinase II activators and protein kinase C inhibitors.

We describe the identification and characterization of the BMH1 gene from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The gene encodes a putative protein of 292 amino acids which is more than 50% identical with the bovine brain 14-3-3 protein and proteins isolated from sheep brain which are strong inhibitors of protein kinase C. Disruption mutants and strains with the BMH1 gene on multicopy plasmids have impaired growth on minimal medium with glucose as carbon source, i.e. a 30-50% increase in generation time. These observations suggest a regulatory function of the bmh1 protein. In contrast to strains with an intact or a disrupted BMH1 gene, strains with the BMH1 gene on multicopy plasmids hardly grew on media with acetate or glycerol as carbon source.

14-3-3 Proteins↗
PubMed1992

Efficient selection of phleomycin-resistant Saccharomyces cerevisiae transformants.

The recently described dominant yeast marker Tn5ble confers phleomycin resistance on the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Gatignol, Baron and Tiraby, 1987. Mol. Gen. Genet. 207, 342-348). Incubation in non-selective medium prior to selection is critical, however, for getting phleomycin-resistant transformants. A 6-h incubation period was found to give optimal transformation frequencies, up to 10(5) transformants/micrograms plasmid, comparable to selection for uracil prototrophy (Ura+).

Drug Resistance, Microbial↗
PubMed1990

Kluyveromyces as a host for heterologous gene expression: expression and secretion of prochymosin.

We have developed the yeast Kluyveromyces lactis as a host organism for the production of the milk-clotting enzyme chymosin. In contrast to Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we found that this yeast is capable of the synthesis and secretion of fully active prochymosin. Various signal sequences could be used to efficiently direct the secretion of prochymosin in Kluyveromyces, but not in S. cerevisiae. We conclude that the efficient synthetic and secretory capacity of this heterologous protein is a property of the yeast Kluyveromyces. These results have led to the development of a large scale production process for chymosin.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1986

A peptide to DNA conversion program.

A modification and extension of the computer program REVCUT (Blumenthal et al, Nucl. Acids Res. 10, 91-101 (1982) is described. The new program searches for restriction endonuclease recognition sites that are not coding DNA sequences of a protein of known aminoacid sequence using bit patterns. The modifications make the program more accurate and extend the range of the restriction endonucleases.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1986

Methylation-dependent transcription controls plasmid replication of the CloDF13 cop-1(Ts) mutant.

The CloDF13 cop-1(Ts) mutant expresses a temperature-dependent plasmid copy number. At 42 degrees C the mutant shows a "runaway" behavior, and cells harboring this plasmid are killed. The cop-1(Ts) mutation is a G-to-A transition that disturbs one of the two methylation sites which are located opposite in the stem-loop structure within a region involved in both the initiation of primer synthesis for DNA replication and the termination of the cloacin operon transcript. We demonstrate that the mutation results in an increased primer (RNA II) synthesis resulting from nonconditional enhanced RNA II promoter activity, which at 42 degrees C causes a decrease in the amount of active replication repressor molecules (RNA I) synthesized from the opposite strand. We found that the absence of Dam methylation abolishes the mutant phenotype and that under this condition the high mutant level of RNA II synthesis is reduced, which is accompanied by a restoration of the regulation by RNA I. The role of methylation in the regulation of plasmid replication is discussed.

Cloacin↗