A 3.85-kb genomic fragment containing the KlPCL1 gene, with an open reading frame (ORF) of 1359 bp, was isolated from Kluyveromyces lactis genomic library by heterologous colony hybridization using the Saccharomyces cerevisiae PRC1 (ScPRC1) gene as a probe. The KlPCL1 nucleotide sequence was identical to the KLLAOC17490g ORF of K. lactis and showed >55 % identity with S. cerevisiae YBR139w and PRC1 genes encoding carboxypeptidases. The deduced KlPcl1p amino acid sequence displayed strong similarities to yeast and higher eukaryotic carboxypeptidases. In silico analyses revealed that KlPcl1p contained several highly conserved regions characteristic of the serine-type carboxypeptidases, such as the catalytic triad in the active site and the LNGGPGCSS, FHIAGESYAGHYIP and ICNWLGN motifs involved in the substrate binding. All this suggests that the KlPCL1 gene product belongs to the serine carboxypeptidase family. Sporulation and ascus dissection of a diploid strain heterozygous for single-copy disruption of KlPCL1 revealed that this gene is not essential in K. lactis. Further analyses of haploid and diploid deletion mutants demonstrated that disruption of the KlPCL1 gene neither impaired sporulation nor affected growth abilities of K. lactis cells under a variety of physiological conditions, e.g., growth on different carbon sources, at various temperatures or pH of the medium, and under nitrogen depletion.

Laboratory of Yeast Molecular Genetics Institute of Molecular Biology Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Sofia

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