The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae expresses two phosphatidylserine decarboxylase (PSD) activities which are responsible for conversion of phosphatidylserine to phosphatidylethanolamine, and either enzyme alone is sufficient for normal cellular growth. However, strains containing a PSD1 null allele and a mutation leading to loss of PSD2 activity (psd1-delta 1::TRP1 psd2) are auxotrophic for ethanolamine. This nutritional requirement was utilized to isolate the gene encoding the PSD2 enzyme by complementation. The PSD2 gene encodes a protein of 1138 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of 130 kDa. The deduced amino acid sequence shows significant identity (34%) to a PSD-like sequence from Clostridium pasteurianum and the yeast PSD1 (19%) at the carboxyl end of the protein. Of particular interest is the presence of a sequence, GGST, which may be involved in post-translational processing and prosthetic group formation similar to other PSD enzymes. The PSD2 amino acid sequence also shows significant homology to the C2 regions of protein kinase C and synaptotagmin. Physical mapping experiments demonstrate that the PSD2 is located on chromosome 7. The PSD2 gene was heterologously expressed by infection of Sf-9 insect cells with recombinant baculovirus, resulting in a 10-fold increase in PSD activity. The null allele of PSD2 was introduced into yeast strains by one-step gene deletion/disruption with a HIS3 marker gene. Strains expressing wild type PSD1 and the psd2-delta 1::HIS3 allele show a small decrease in overall PSD activity, but no noticeable effect upon [3H]serine incorporation into aminophospholipids. Strains containing both the psd1-delta 1::TRP1 and psd2-delta 1::HIS3 null alleles, however, express no detectable PSD activity, are ethanolamine auxotrophs and show a severe deficit in the conversion of [3H]serine-labeled phosphatidylserine to phosphatidylethanolamine. These data indicate that the gene isolated is the structural gene for PSD2 and that the PSD1 and PSD2 enzymes account for all yeast PSD activity.

• PMID: 7890740
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Comparative Study | Journal Article | Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

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Trotter PJ, Pedretti J, Yates R, Voelker DR

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