title: 3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase from Arabidopsis thaliana is structurally distinct from the yeast and animal enzymes.
abstract: We have isolated the Arabidopsis thaliana gene (HMG1) encoding 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase [HMG-CoA reductase; (S)-mevalonate:NAD+ oxido-reductase (CoA-acylating), EC 1.1.1.88], the catalyst of the first committed step in isoprenoid biosynthesis. cDNA copies of the plant gene were identified by hybridization with a short, highly conserved segment of yeast HMG-CoA reductase as probe. DNA sequence analysis reveals that the COOH-terminal domain of the Arabidopsis HMG-CoA reductase (containing the catalytic site of the enzyme) is highly conserved with respect to the yeast, mammalian, and Drosophila enzymes, whereas the membrane-bound amino terminus of the Arabidopsis protein is truncated and lacks the complex membrane-spanning architecture of the yeast and animal reductases. Expression of the Arabidopsis gene from the yeast GAL1 promoter in a yeast mutant lacking HMG-CoA reductase activity suppresses the growth defect of the yeast mutant. Taken together, the sequence similarity to other cloned HMG-CoA reductase genes and the suppression of the yeast hmg- mutant provide strong evidence that the novel Arabidopsis gene we have cloned encodes a functional HMG-CoA reductase enzyme.
authors.affiliation: Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142.
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Learned
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Fink
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D006903:Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010944:Plants / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics; D012995:Solubility; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D004247:DNA; D006903:Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases