Isolation of the gene encoding adenylate cyclase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

By complementation of the cyr1-1 mutation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we have isolated yeast genomic DNA containing the structural gene that encodes the catalytic unit of adenylate cyclase (EC 4.6.1.1). The isolated DNA restored adenylate cyclase activity to cyr1-1 mutants and directed integration at the CYR1 locus. Wild-type strains transformed with CYR1 DNA on the high copy number vector YEp24 contained 4- to 6-fold more adenylate cyclase activity than strains carrying the plasmid with no insert. This result suggests that expression of the CYR1 gene product, rather than that of other polypeptide components of the adenylate cyclase system, limits total adenylate cyclase activity in S. cerevisiae. CYR1-containing plasmids also complemented the temperature-sensitive growth defect of the cell division cycle mutation cdc35-1, which confers a phenotype under restrictive conditions similar to that of cyr1-1 and maps to the same locus. Further, cdc35-1 cam mutants, which contain mutations that enable them to take up cAMP from the medium, grew at the restrictive temperature in the presence of exogenous cAMP. These observations support the view that CDC35 and CYR1 are allelic and confirm the hypothesis that cAMP synthesis is required for cells to pass through the "start" position of the cell division cycle.