Abstract
The Kluyveromyces lactis homologue of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae HAP3 gene was isolated by functional complementation of the respiratory-deficient phenotype of the S. cerevisiae hap3::HIS4 strain SHY40. The KlHAP3 gene encodes a protein of 205 amino acids, of which the central B-domain of 90 residues is highly homologous to HAP3 counterparts of S. cerevisiae and higher eukaryotes. The protein contains a novel 4-cysteine zinc-finger motif and we propose by analogy that all other homologous HAP3 proteins contain the same motif, with the position containing the third cysteine being occupied by a serine residue. In contrast to the situation in S. cerevisiae, disruption of the KlHAP3 gene in K. lactis does not result in a respiratory-deficient phenotype and the growth of the null strain is indistinguishable from wild type. There is also no effect on the expression of the carbon source-regulated KlCYC1 gene, suggesting either a different role for the HAP2/3/4 complex, or the existence of a different mechanism of carbon source regulation. Sequence verification of the S. cerevisiae HAP3 locus reveals that, just as in K. lactis, a long open reading frame (ORF) is present upstream of the HAP3 gene. These highly homologous ORFs are predicted to have at least eight membrane-spanning fragments, but do not show significant homology to any known sequence present in databases. The ScORFX gene is transcribed in the opposite direction to ScHAP3, but, in contrast to an earlier report by Hahn et al. (1988), the transcripts of the two genes do not overlap. The model proposed by these authors, in which the ScHAP3 gene is regulated by an anti-sense non-coding mRNA, is therefore not correct.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.