title: Interactions of oxidosqualene cyclase (Erg7p) with 3-keto reductase (Erg27p) and other enzymes of sterol biosynthesis in yeast.
abstract: In Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida albicans, two enzymes of the ergosterol biosynthetic pathway, oxidosqualene cyclase (Erg7p) and 3-keto reductase (Erg27p) interact such that loss of the 3-keto reductase also results in a concomitant loss of activity of the upstream oxidosqualene cyclase. This interaction wherein Erg27p has a stabilizing effect on Erg7p was examined to determine whether Erg7p reciprocally has a protective effect on Erg27p. To this aim, three yeast strains each lacking the ERG7 gene were tested for 3-ketoreductase activity by incubating either cells or cell homogenates with unlabeled and radiolabeled 3-ketosteroids. In these experiments, the ketone substrates were effectively reduced to the corresponding alcohols, providing definitive evidence that oxidosqualene cyclase is not required for the 3-ketoreductase activity. This suggests that, in S. cerevisiae, the protective relationship between the 3-keto reductase (Erg27p) and oxidosqualene cyclase (Erg7p) is not reciprocal. However, the absence of the Erg7p, appears to affect other enzymes of sterol biosynthesis downstream of lanosterol formation. Following incubation with radiolabeled and non-radiolabeled 3-ketosteroids we detected differences in hydroxysteroid accumulation and ergosterol production between wild-type and ERG7 mutant strains. We suggest that oxidosqualene cyclase affects Erg25p (C-4 sterol oxidase) and/or Erg26p (C-3 sterol dehydrogenase/C-4 decarboxylase), two enzymes that, in conjunction with Erg27p, are involved in C-4 sterol demethylation.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienza e Tecnologia del Farmaco, Università degli Studi di Torino, Via Pietro Giuria 9, 10125 Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Taramino
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Valachovic
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oliaro-Bosso
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Viola
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Teske
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bard
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Balliano
mesh_terms: D000085:Acetates / Q000378:metabolism*; D019751:Intramolecular Transferases / Q000378:metabolism*; D007664:Ketosteroids / Q000378:metabolism*; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000378:metabolism*; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000254:growth & development; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D013185:Squalene / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000085:Acetates; D007664:Ketosteroids; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; C520393:oxidosqualene; D013185:Squalene; D010088:Oxidoreductases; C400426:ERG27 protein, S cerevisiae; D019751:Intramolecular Transferases; C021924:lanosterol synthase