Rdc. Saunders et Li. Mclellan, Molecular cloning of Drosophila gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase by functional complementation of a yeast mutant, FEBS LETTER, 467(2-3), 2000, pp. 337-340
gamma-Glutamylcysteine synthetase (GCS) catalyses a critical, rate-limiting
step in glutathione synthesis, Tn this study we describe the isolation and
characterisation of a GCS cDNA (pDmGCS4.3.3) from Drosophila melanogaster
by functional complementation of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae gsh1 mutant. Ex
pression of pDmGCS4.3.3 in the yeast mutant partially restored glutathione
levels and conferred resistance to methylglyoxal. The pDmGCS4.3.3 cDNA was
found to be approx, 4.6 kb in length, containing a 2 kb fragment encoding a
n open reading frame with a high degree of deduced amino acid sequence iden
tity with previously reported GCS sequences, In situ hybridisation revealed
that the Drosophila GCS gene maps to 7D6-9 on the X chromosome, (C) 2000 F
ederation of European Biochemical Societies.