Cloning and characterization of the gene encoding lipoamide dehydrogenase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The LPD1 gene of S. cerevisiae, which encodes lipoamide dehydrogenase (EC 1.8.1.4), has been cloned and characterized. The LPD1 gene is present as a single copy in the yeast genome and is transcribed to give a polyadenylated mRNA species of approximately 2.0 kb. The synthesis of lipoamide dehydrogenase in yeast is subject to carbon catabolite repression since both the level of the LPD1 transcript and the accumulation of the lipoamide dehydrogenase subunit polypeptide were greatly reduced in wild-type cells grown on glucose compared to those grown on a variety of non-fermentable carbon sources. Strains defective in LPD1 but transformed with the LPD1 gene on a high copy number vector exhibited elevated levels of the LPD1 transcript as well as increased lipoamide dehydrogenase activity when grown on glycerol. Immunoblotting experiments confirmed that such transformants over-expressed lipoamide dehydrogenase protein. Transcription from the LPD1 sequence on plasmid pGP1 still appeared to be subject to some catabolite repression despite the presence of multiple copies of the plasmid in the cell.