Molecular cloning of a gene enhancing yeast glyoxalase I activity and its effect on yeast cell size

Abstract

A gene enhancing glyoxalase I activity of a yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, was cloned on a vector plasmid YEp13 as a 3-kb chromosomal DNA fragment. The glyoxalase I activity in yeast cells with the gene increased approximately 5-fold compared with that of the control cells with or without YEp13. The yeast cells with the gene also showed an elevated resistance to cytotoxic methylglyoxal and had an increased cell size. The results suggested that the glyoxalase I might be involved in both the detoxification of methylglyoxal and in the regulation of yeast cell size.