The gene for cadmium metallothionein from a cadmium-resistant yeast appears to be identical to CUP1 in a copper-resistant strain.
A cadmium-resistant strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae produces a cadmium metallothionein with the same characteristics as the copper metallothionein that is encoded by CUP1 in a copper-resistant strain. The structural gene for metallothionein from the cadmium-resistant strain resembles CUP1 in terms of the fragmentation patterns generated by restriction enzymes. Furthermore, the gene may be amplified as 2.0 kb repeating units in both the cadmium-resistant and the copper-resistant strains. However, transformants with a plasmid that carried the metallothionein gene from the cadmium-resistant strain were resistant to copper but not to cadmium. It appears that the same metallothionein gene, CUP1, is amplified in both cadmium- and copper-resistant yeasts. However, the mechanism for the cadmium-specific inducibility of the gene may be restricted to the cadmium-resistant strain.
Tohoyama
H
H
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan.
Tomoyasu
T
T
Inouhe
M
M
Joho
M
M
Murayama
T
T
D002104:Cadmium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003300:Copper / Q000494:pharmacology; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal / Q000187:drug effects; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000235:genetics*; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D014162:Transfection
D005656:Fungal Proteins; D002104:Cadmium; D003300:Copper; D008668:Metallothionein