We have previously reported that L-proline has cryoprotective activity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. A freezetolerant mutant with L-proline accumulation was recently shown to carry an allele of the PRO1 gene encoding ␥-glutamyl kinase, which resulted in a single amino acid substitution (Asp154Asn). Interestingly, this mutation enhanced the activities of ␥-glutamyl kinase and ␥-glutamyl phosphate reductase, both of which catalyze the first two steps of L-proline synthesis and which together may form a complex in vivo. Here, we found that the Asp154Asn mutant ␥-glutamyl kinase was more thermostable than the wild-type enzyme, which suggests that this mutation elevated the apparent activities of two enzymes through a stabilization of the complex. We next examined the gene dosage effect of three L-proline biosynthetic enzymes, including ⌬ 1 -pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase, which converts ⌬ 1 -pyrroline-5-carboxylate into L-proline, on L-proline accumulation and freeze tolerance in a non-L-proline-utilizing strain. Overexpression of the wild-type enzymes has no influence on L-proline accumulation, which suggests that the complex is very unstable in nature. However, co-overexpression of the mutant ␥-glutamyl kinase and the wild-type ␥-glutamyl phosphate reductase was effective for L-proline accumulation, probably due to a stabilization of the complex. These results indicate that both enzymes, not ⌬ 1 -pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase, are rate-limiting enzymes in yeast cells. A high tolerance for freezing clearly correlated with higher levels of L-proline in yeast cells. Our findings also suggest that, in addition to its cryoprotective activity, intracellular L-proline could protect yeast cells from damage by oxidative stress. The approach described here provides a valuable method for breeding novel yeast strains that are tolerant of both freezing and oxidative stresses.
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