MOLECULAR-STRUCTURE OF A YEAST GENE, PDI1, ENCODING PROTEIN DISULFIDE ISOMERASE THAT IS ESSENTIAL FOR CELL-GROWTH

A genomic DNA clone for protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was isolated by hybridization with synthesized oligonucleotide probes based on a partial amino acid sequence of yeast PDI. The introduction of a multiple copy plasmid carrying this fragment into yeast caused a tenfold increase in PDI specific activity and in the amount of PDI antigen in the extract. The gene on this fragment was named PDI1. The nucleotide sequence of the gene predicts a polypeptide of 522 amino acids with about 30% identity to mammalian PDIs. The predicted amino acid sequence contains an N-terminal signal peptide-like sequence, the C-terminal putative endoplasmic reticulum retention signal of yeast (HDEL), and two putative active site sequences of PDI (WCGHCK). The predicted polypeptide is acidic and contains five putative glycosylation sites, consistent with the molecular properties of the purified yeast PDI [T. Mizunaga et al. (1990) J. Biochem. 108, 846-851]. The PDI1 gene was mapped on chromosome III. A gene disruption experiment revealed that the PDI1 gene is essential for cell growth.