NUCLEOTIDE-SEQUENCE OF A CDNA CLONE ENCODING A CAENORHABDITIS-ELEGANSHOMOLOG OF MAMMALIAN ALKYL-DIHYDROXYACETONEPHOSPHATE SYNTHASE - EVOLUTIONARY SWITCHING OF PEROXISOMAL TARGETING SIGNALS

The nucleotide sequence is reported of a cDNA clone encoding a Caenorh abditis elegans homolog of guinea pig and human alkyl-dihydroxyacetone phosphate synthase. The open reading frame encodes a protein of 597 am ino acids which shows extensive homology with the mammalian enzymes (5 2% identical and about 76% similar in the overlapping region). In cont rast to the mammalian enzymes, which carry a consensus peroxisomal tar geting signal type 2 in a cleavable N-terminal presequence, this Caeno rhabditis elegans homolog carries a consensus peroxisomal targeting si gnal type 1 (CKL) at its C-terminus. Expression of this protein in an in vitro transcription/translation system yielded a 65 kDa protein. Re combinant aenorhabditis elegans alkyl-DHAP synthase expressed in the y east Pichia pastoris was enzymatically active. (C) 1998 Academic Press .