Rc. Dickson et al., SYNTHESIS OF MANNOSE-(INOSITOL-P)(2)-CERAMIDE, THE MAJOR SPHINGOLIPIDIN SACCHAROMYCES-CEREVISIAE, REQUIRES THE IPT1 (YDR072C) GENE, The Journal of biological chemistry, 272(47), 1997, pp. 29620-29625
Knowledge of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae genes and proteins necessary
for sphingolipid biosynthesis is far from complete, Such information
should expedite studies of pathway regulation and sphingolipid functio
ns, Using the Aur1 protein sequence, recently identified as necessary
for synthesis of the sphingolipid inositol-P-ceramide (IPC), we show t
hat a homolog (open reading frame YDR072c), termed Ipt1 (inositolphosp
hotransferase 1) is necessary for synthesis of mannose-(inositol-P)(2)
-ceramide (M(IP)(2)C), the most abundant and complex sphingolipid in S
. cerevisiae, This conclusion is based upon analysis of an ipt1-deleti
on strain, which fails to accumulate M(IP)(2)C and instead accumulates
increased amounts of the precursor mannose inositol-P-ceramide. The m
utant also fails to incorporate radioactive precursors into M(IP)(2)C,
and membranes prepared from it do not incorporate [H-3-inositol]phosp
hatidylinositol into M(IP)(2)C, indicating a lack of M(IP)(2)C synthas
e activity (putatively phosphatidylinositol:mannose-inositol-P-ceramid
e phosphoinositol transferase), M(IP)(2)C synthase activity is inhibit
ed in the micromolar range by aureobasidin A, but drug sensitivity is
over 1000-fold lower than reported for IPC synthase activity. An ipt1-
deletion mutant has no severe phenotypic effects but is slightly more
resistant to growth inhibition by calcium ions, Identification of the
IPT1 gene should be helpful in determining the function of the M(IP)(2
)C sphingolipid and in determining the catalytic mechanism of TPC and
M(IP)(2)C synthases.