title: The 59-kDa polypeptide constituent of 8-10-nm cytoplasmic filaments in Neurospora crassa is a pyruvate decarboxylase.
abstract: The fungus Neurospora crassa harbors large amounts of cytoplasmic filaments which are homopolymers of a 59-kDa polypeptide (P59Nc). We have used molecular cloning, sequencing and enzyme activity measurement strategies to demonstrate that these filaments are made of pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC, EC 4.1.1.1), which is the key enzyme in the glycolytic-fermentative pathway of ethanol production in fungi, and in certain plants and bacteria. Immunofluorescence analyses of 8-10-nm filaments, as well as quantitative Northern blot studies of P59Nc mRNA and measurements of PDC activity, showed that the presence and abundance of PDC filaments depends on the metabolic growth conditions of the cells. These findings may be of relevance to the biology of ethanol production by fungi, and may shed light on the nature and variable presence of filament bundles described in fungal cells.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Quimica Biológica (CIQUIBIC-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Quimicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Ciudad Universitaria, Argentina.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Alvarez
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Rosa
authors.forename: E D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Temporini
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wolstenholme
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Panzetta
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Patrito
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Maccioni
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002384:Catalysis; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000201:enzymology; D004271:DNA, Fungal; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009492:Neurospora crassa / Q000201:enzymology*; D011767:Pyruvate Decarboxylase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011767:Pyruvate Decarboxylase