Identification and characterization of thiamin repressible acid phosphatase in yeast.

We have identified a genetic locus, pho4, in Schizosaccharomyces pombe which encodes a minor expressed cell surface acid phosphatase that is repressed by low concentrations (0.5 microM) of thiamin. The enzyme was purified from a strain that overproduces the enzyme. It is an Asn-linked glycoprotein. Removal of the carbohydrates by endoglycosidase H does not abolish enzymatic activity. The molecular mass of deglycosylated and unglycosylated enzyme that accumulates in membranes when cells are grown in the presence of tunicamycin is 56 kDa as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis. Thiamin regulation, at least in part, operates by reducing the level of pho4-mRNA. Pho4 is not genetically linked to the phosphate repressible acid phosphatase gene pho1. Phosphate and thiamin repressible acid phosphatase differ in their substrate specificity. Their protein moieties are immunologically related. Pho4 and pho1 are the only genes in S. pombe that express cell surface acid phosphatases being enzymatically active with nitrophenyl phosphate as substrate. S. pombe is not unique in having a thiamin repressible acid phosphatase. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae this enzyme is encoded by PHO3.

The all2 gene is required for the induction of the purine deamination pathway in Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

Five mutants were isolated at the all2 gene on the basis of their inability to utilize hypoxanthine as a sole source of nitrogen. These mutants failed to utilize the purines adenine, hypoxanthine, xanthine, uric acid, allantoin and allantoic acid, although they could utilize urea and ammonium. The all2 mutants appeared to be defective in purine induction of uricase, allantoinase, allantoicase and ureidoglycollase activities but retained wild-type activity of the constitutively synthesized urease. The all2 mutations were recessive.

Genetic studies of purine breakdown in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

Purines such as hypoxanthine, xanthine, uric acid, allantoin and allantoic acid serve as sole nitrogen sources for the yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. A number of classes of mutants unable to use purines have been isolated and genetically analysed. Mutants in the urol gene lack uricase, all1 lack allantoinase, ala1 lack allantoicase whilst in ure1, ure2, ure3 and ure4 genes lack urease activity. Mutants in four hyp genes are unable to convert hypoxanthine to uric acid whilst mutation in xan1 results in impaired growth with xanthine. hyp5 strains are unable to convert both hypoxanthine and xanthine to uric acid. The mutations are recessive and none of the loci are linked to each other. The possible catalytic steps involved are discussed.

The product of the ade1: gene in Schizosaccharomyces pombe: a bifunctional enzyme catalysing two distinct steps in purine biosynthesis.

The assignment of the known ade genes to steps in purine biosynthesis in Schizosaccharomyces pombe has been completed with the demonstration that an ade3 mutants lacks FGAR amidotransferase, ade1A mutants lack GAR synthetase and ade1B mutants lack AIR synthetase. A comparison of enzyme activity with map position for ade1 mutants shows that (1) complementing ade1A mutants lack GAR synthetase but posses wild type amounts of AIR synthetase, (2) complementing ade1B mutants lack AIR synthetase but posses variable amounts of GAR synthetase, (3) non-complementing mutants lack both activities. In wild type strains the two activities fractionate together throughout a hundred-fold purification. Hence the ade1 gene appears to code for a bifunctional enzyme catalysing two distinct steps in purine biosynthesis. The two activities are catalysed by two different regions of the polypeptide chain which can be altered independently by mutation. Gel filtration studies on partially purified enzymes from wild type and various complementing mutant strains, indicate that the bifunctional enzyme is a multimer consisting of between four and six sub-units of 40,000 daltons each. GAR synthetase activity is associated with both the monomeric and multimeric forms but AIR synthetase is only associated with the multimer. A comparison of enzyme levels between diploids and their original complementing haploid strains suggests that complementation is due to hybrid enzyme formation.