Isolation of the yeast calmodulin gene: Calmodulin is an essential protein

• Published in: Cell Vol. 47; no. 3; pp. 423 - 431
• Main Authors: Davis, Trisha N., Urdea, Mickey S., Masiarz, Frank R., Thorner, Jeremy
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, MA Elsevier Inc 07.11.1986; Cell Press
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; Calcium - metabolism; calmodulin; Calmodulin - genetics; Calmodulin - isolation & purification; DNA, Fungal - isolation & purification; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; gene mapping; genes; Genes, Lethal; Genes. Genome; Molecular and cellular biology; Molecular genetics; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Saccharomyces cerevisiae - genetics; Fungi; Purification; Gene; Molecular structure; Isolation; Primary structure; Ascomycetes; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Calmodulin; Thallophyta
• ISSN: 0092-8674; 1097-4172
• DOI: 10.1016/0092-8674(86)90599-4

Calmodulin was purified from Saccharomyces cerevisiae based on its characteristic properties. Like other calmodulins, the yeast protein is small, heat-stable, acidic, retained by hydrophobic matrices in a Ca 2+-dependent manner, exhibits a pronounced Ca 2+-induced shift in electrophoretic mobility, and binds 45Ca 2+. Using synthetic oligonucleotide probes designed from the sequences of two tryptic peptides derived from the purified protein, the gene encoding yeast calmodulin was isolated. The gene (designated CMD1) is a unique, single-copy locus, contains no introns, and resides on chromosome II. The amino acid sequence of yeast calmodulin shares 60% identity with other calmodulins. Disruption or deletion of the yeast calmodulin gene results in a recessive-lethal mutation; thus, calmodulin is essential for the growth of yeast cells.