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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Albany, California » Plant Gene Expression Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #108005
Title: A FISSION YEAST GENE FOR MITOCHONDRIAL SULFIDE OXIDATION

Author
item Ow, David
item VANDE WEGHE, J. - UCB-PGEC

Submitted to: Journal of Biological Chemistry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/7/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: A cadmium-hypersensitive mutant of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe was found to accumulate abnormally high levels of sulfide. We studied aspects of the gene required for normal regulation of sulfide levels, hmt2(+).

Technical Abstract: A cadmium-hypersensitive mutant of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe was found to accumulate abnormally high levels of sulfide. The gene required for normal regulation of sulfide levels, hmt2(+), was cloned by complementation of the cadmium-hypersensitive phenotype of the mutant. Cell fractionation and immunocytochemistry indicated that HMT2 protein is localized to mitochondria. Sequence analysis revealed homology between HMT and sulfide dehydrogenases from photosynthetic bacteria. HMT2 protein, produced in and purified from Escherichia coli, was soluble, bound FAD, and catalyzed the reduction of quinone (coenzyme Q2) by sulfide. HMT2 activity was also detected in isolated fission yeast mitochondria. We propose that HMT2 functions as a sulfide:quinone oxidoreductase. Homologous enzymes may be widespread in higher organisms, as sulfide-oxidizing activities have been described previously in animal mitochondria, and genes of unknown function, but with similarity to hmt2(+), are present in the genomes of flies, worms, rats, mice, and humans.