The isolation and characterisation of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene (LIP2) involved in the attachment of lipoic acid groups to mitochondrial enzymes

Lipoic acid is an essential cofactor for a variety of mitochondrial enzymes . We have characterised a gene from Saccharomyces cerevisiae which appears to encode a protein involved in the attachment of lipoic acid groups to the pyruvate dehydrogenase and glycine decarboxylase complexes. The predicted protein product of this gene has significant identity to the lipoyl ligase B of both Escherichia toll and Kluyveromyces lactis. A strain harbouring a null allele of this S. cerevisiae gene is respiratory deficient due to inac tive pyruvate dehydrogenase, and is unable to utilise glycine as a sole nit rogen source. (C) 2001 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Pu blished by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.