Expression of the HIS3 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in polynucleotide phosphorylase-deficient strains of Escherichia coli K-12.

The PstI and BamHI fragments, containing the HIS3 (imidazoleglycerol phosphate dehydratase) gene of yeast obtained from pYehis2, and the ColE1-derived plasmid pBR322 were ligated in vitro and used to transform hisB463 strains of Escherichia coli K-12. Expression of the cloned HIS3 gene from yeast was markedly enhanced (3--5-fold) in polynucleotide phosphorylase (pnp)-deficient strains of E. coli. The levels of both HIS3 and plasmid-encoded mRNAs were increased in pnp- strains carrying the chimeric plasmids, whereas there was little difference in the levels of pBR322-specific mRNAs in pnp+ and pnp- strains. This increase in HIS3 mRNA appeared to be related to specific stabilization of the eukaryotic message due to its unique structural features, since the half-life of the HIS3 mRNA increased from 1.5 to 18.7 min, whereas no increase in the half-lives of pBR322 vehicle mRNAs was observed. A physical map of the plasmid pYehis2 was constructed using restriction endonuclease and molecular cloning techniques.