Purine biosynthetic genes are required for cadmium tolerance in Schizosaccharomyces pombe

Journal Article · Tue Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1992 · Molecular and Cellular Biology; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1128/MCB.12.12.5301· OSTI ID:6180441

Speiser, D M; Ortiz, D F; Kreppel, L; Scheel, G; McDonald, G; Ow, D W ^[1]

---

1. Dept. of Agriculture, Albany, CA (United States) Univ. of California, Berkeley (United States)

Phytochelatins (PCs) are metal-chelating peptides produced in plants and some fungi in response to heavy metal exposure. A Cd-sensitive mutant of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, defective in production of a PC-Cd-sulfide complex essential for metal tolerance, was found to harbor mutations in specific genes of the purine biosynthetic pathway. Genetic analysis of the link between metal complex accumulation and purine biosynthesis enzymes revealed that genetic lesions blocking two segments of the pathway, before and after the IMP branchpoint, are required to produce the Cd-sensitive phenotype. The biochemical functions of these two segments of the pathway are similar, and a model based on the alternate use of a sulfur analog substrate is presented. The novel participation of purine biosynthesis enzymes in the conversion of the PC-Cd complex to the PC-Cd-sulfide complex in the fission yeast raises an intriguing possibility that these same enzymes might have a role in sulfur metabolism in the fission yeast S. pombe, and perhaps in other biological systems. 41 refs., 8 figs., 2 tabs.

• OSTI ID: 6180441
• Journal Information: Molecular and Cellular Biology; (United States), Journal Name: Molecular and Cellular Biology; (United States) Vol. 12:12; ISSN 0270-7306; ISSN MCEBD4
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550400* -- Genetics
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
AROMATICS
AZAARENES
BIOLOGICAL ADAPTATION
BIOSYNTHESIS
CADMIUM
CHELATES
COMPLEXES
ELEMENTS
EUMYCOTA
FUNGI
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
METALLOPROTEINS
METALLOTHIONEIN
METALS
MICROORGANISMS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
PEPTIDES
PLANTS
PROTEINS
PURINES
SYNTHESIS
TOLERANCE
YEASTS