Evidence that alpha-isopropylmalate synthase of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is under the "general" control of amino acid biosynthesis.

The specific activity and the immunoreactive amount of alpha-isopropylmalate synthase were more than three times above wild-type values in a Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutant (cdr1) with constitutively derepressed levels of enzymes known to be under the "general" control of amino acid biosynthesis. The specific activity was also higher in lysine- and arginine-leaky strains when these were grown under limiting conditions, and in wild-type cells grown in the presence of 5-methyltryptophan. A low specific activity was found in a mutant (ndr1) unable to derepress enzymes of the general control system. Neither isopropylmalate isomerase nor beta-isopropylmalate dehydrogenase responded to general control signals.