Skip to main content
Log in

Daucus carota cells contain a dihydrofolate reductase: thymidylate synthase bifunctional polypeptide

  • Published:
Plant Molecular Biology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) and thymidylate synthase (TS) activities from cell suspension cultures of Daucus carota were shown to copurify on (NH4)2SO4 fractionation, DEAE Sephadex and methotrexate-Sepharose affinity chromatography and to share approximately the same Mr(183 kDa and 185 kDa respectively) as judged by gel filtration on Sephacryl S-200.

The copurified protein migrated as a single band on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under denaturing conditions.

Both activities could be eluted from the same position of the native gel.

Moreover, methotrexate-resistant cell lines which overproduce DHFR revealed to have a parallel higher level of TS. It is therefore proposed and discussed that in carrot, similarly to protozoa, TS and DHFR are present on a single bifunctional polypeptide of 58 kDa.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Albani D, Parisi B, Carbonera D, Cella R: Dihydrofolate reductase from Daucus carota cell suspension cultures: purification and molecular and kinetic characterization. Plant Mol Biol 5: 363–372 (1985).

    Google Scholar 

  • Bollini R, Vitale A: Genetic variability in charge microheterogeneity and polypeptide composition of phaseolin, the major storage protein of Phaseolus vulgaris, and peptide maps of its three major subunits. Physiol Plant 52: 96–100 (1981).

    Google Scholar 

  • Beverley SM, Ellenberger TE, Cordingley JS: Primary structure of the gene encoding the bifunctional dihydrofolate reductase thymidylate synthase of Leishmania major. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 83: 2589–2599 (1986).

    Google Scholar 

  • Cella R, Albani D, Carbonera D, Etteri L, Maestri E, Parisi B: Selection of methotrexate resistant cell lines in Daucus carota: biochemical analysis and genetic characterization by protoplast fusion. J Plant Physiol 127: 135–146 (1987).

    Google Scholar 

  • Cella R, Crosti P, Parisi B, Nielsen E: Biochemical basis of different sensitivity to methotrexate in Daucus carota and Oryza sativa cell cultures. J Exp Botany 34: 1189–1195 (1983).

    Google Scholar 

  • Coderre JA, Beverley SM, Schimke RT, Santi DV: Overproduction of a bifunctional thymidylate synthetase-dihydrofolate reductase and DNA amplification in methotrexate-resistant Leishmania tropica. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 80: 2132–2136 (1983).

    Google Scholar 

  • De Wayne R, Loehr EV: Elevation of thymidylate synthase activity in CCRF-CEM cells. Cancer Research 31: 1181–1187 (1971).

    Google Scholar 

  • Dunlap RB, Harding NG, Huennekens FM: Thymidylate synthetase from Amethopterin-resistant Lactobacillus casei. Biochemistry 10: 88–97 (1971).

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferone R, Roland S: Dihydrofolate reductase: thymidylate synthase, a bifunctional polypeptide from Crithidia fasciculata. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 77: 5802–5806 (1980).

    Google Scholar 

  • La Verne Schirch: Folates in serine and glycine metabolism. In: Blackley RL, Benkovic SJ (eds) Folates and Pterins. John Wiley and Sons, New York (1984).

    Google Scholar 

  • Lomax MIS, Greenberg GR: A new assay of thymidylate synthase activity based on the release of tritium from deoxyuridilate-5-3H. J Biol Chem 242: 109–113 (1967).

    Google Scholar 

  • Meek TD, Garvey EP, Santi DV: Purification and characterization of the bifunctional thymidylate synthase-dihydrofolic reductase from methotrexate resistant Leishmania tropica. Biochemistry 24: 678–686 (1985).

    Google Scholar 

  • Nielsen E, Cella R: Thymidylate synthase in plant cells: kinetic and molecular properties of the enzyme from Daucus carota L. Cell cultures. Plant and Cell Physiology (1988) in press.

  • Noguchi H, Reddy GPV, Pardee AB: Rapid incorporation of label from ribonucleoside diphosphate into DNA by a cell-free high molecular weight fraction from animal cell nuclei. Cell 32: 443–451 (1983).

    Google Scholar 

  • O'Farrel PH: High resolution of two-dimensional electrophoresis of proteins. J Biol Chem 250: 4007–4021 (1975).

    Google Scholar 

  • Osborn MJ, Huennekens FM: Enzymatic reduction of dihydrofolic acid. J Biol Chem 233: 969–974 (1958).

    Google Scholar 

  • Santi DV, Danenberg PV: Folates in pyrimidine nucleotide biosynthesis. In: Blackley RL, Benkovic SJ (eds) Folates and Pterins. John Wiley and Sons, New York (1984).

    Google Scholar 

  • Srivastava DK, Bernhard SA: Metabolite transfer in enzyme-enzyme complexes. Science 234: 1081–1086 (1986).

    Google Scholar 

  • Stanley BG, Neal GE, Williams DC: Dihydrofolic reductase. In: Methods in Enzymology, Vol. 18B. Academic Press, New York (1971) pp 775–779.

    Google Scholar 

  • Woese CR: Bacterial evolution. Microbial Rev 51: 221–271 (1987).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Cella, R., Nielsen, E. & Parisi, B. Daucus carota cells contain a dihydrofolate reductase: thymidylate synthase bifunctional polypeptide. Plant Mol Biol 10, 331–338 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00029883

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00029883

Key words

Navigation