Gene analysis of an NADP-linked isocitrate dehydrogenase localized in peroxisomes of the n-alkane-assimilating yeast Candida tropicalis

In n-alkane-utilizing yeast, Candida tropicalis, two NADP-linked isocitrate dehydrogenase (NADP-IDH) isozymes are present, one in mitochondria (Mt-NADP-IDH) and the other in peroxisomes (Ps-NADP-IDH). Here we report the isolation, sequencing, and expression of the gene encoding Ps-NADP-IDH (CrIDP2), distinct from the Mt-NADP-IDH gene (CtIDP1). Based on the N-terminal amino acid sequence of purified Ps-NADP-IDH, a cDNA fragment specific for Ps-NADP-IDH was obtained by the 5'-RACE method. Using this fragment as a probe, the genomic CtIDP2 gene was isolated. Nucleotide sequence analysis of CtIDP2 disclosed that the region encoding CtIdp2p had a length of 1233 bp, corresponding to 411 amino acid residues. The deduced N-terminal amino acid sequence matched the results obtained from the purified protein. When this CrIDP2 was expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae using the C. tropicalis isocitrate lyase gene promoter (UPR-ICL), high intracellular NADP-IDH activity was observed. Comparison of amino acid sequences and phylogenetic wee analysis with NADP-IDH enzymes from all reported eukaryotic sources revealed that mammalian mitochondrial NADP-IDHs formed a cluster, as did plant NADP-IDHs. CtIdp2p and other yeast NADP-IDHs were not included in these clusters and seemed to diverge at an early stage from all other enzymes of higher eukaryotes. Ps-NADP-IDH had no typical C-terminal peroxisomal targeting signal and no processing was demonstrated at the N-terminus. However, we could find a region near the N-terminus of the protein with high similarity to both the putative N-terminal peroxisomal targeting signal sequence of Fox3p of S. cerevisae and an internal region of Pox4p of C. tropicalis. The results of northern blot analysis indicated that the biosynthesis of CtIdp2p was induced in a medium containing alkanes as a carbon source, where profuse proliferation of peroxisomes is observed.