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ABSTRACT: We have deleted six different ORFs of unknown function located on the right arm of Saccharomyces cerevisiae chromosome VII; namely, YGR187c/HGH1, YGR189c, YGR194c, YGR195w, YGR196c and YGR198w. No basic phenotypes could be attributed to the strains deleted in any of genes YGR187c/HGH1, YGR189c, YGR194c and YGR196c. These deletants did not show mating, sporulation or growth defects under any of the conditions tested. However, spores bearing deletions in either the YGR195w or YGR198w genes were unable to develop into macroscopical colonies. The YGR195w gene product shows significant homology with bacterial ribonuclease PH, an enzyme hitherto undescribed in yeasts, and its deletion causes a loss of viability after one to three rounds of cell division. Overexpression of this gene, using a tetracycline-regulatable promoter system, did not cause any effect on the cells. Contrary to what has been reported for prokaryotic homologs, this enzyme could play an essential role in yeast cell biology. The product encoded by the other essential ORF, YGR198w, shows no significant homology with any protein of known function in the databases. Spores bearing the deletion usually germinate and give rise to microcolonies of 50-100 non-viable cells.
Yeast 07/1998; 14(9):853-60. · 1.89 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: We report the sequence of a 23,002 bp fragment located on the right arm of Saccharomyces cerevisiae chromosome VII. Analysis of this region revealed 14 complete open reading frames (ORFs) wit more than 300 base pairs. Six of them correspond to previously known genes. G7164 is the QCR9 gene coding for subunit 9 of the cytochrome c reductase; G7168 is UBR1, encoding an ubiquitin protein ligase; G7522 is the TYS1 gene, which encodes for the tyrosyl tRNA synthetase; G7526 is TFG1, the gene coding for the RNA polymerase transcription initiation factor TFIIF (factor G); G7538 is the gene HGH1 which encodes a protein related to the mammalian HMG1 and HMG2 proteins. G7542 is the BUB1 gene which encodes a ser/thr protein kinase involved in spindle assembly during the cell cycle. One of the ORFs, G7553, shares significant homologies with the gene UTR2 from S. cerevisiae. None of the seven remaining ORFs shows similarity to any of the sequences within the public databases. Three ORFs are internal ORFs of the above-described known genes, and two small ORFs are completely contained in larger ORFs on the complementary strand, and therefore probably do not correspond to real genes. This region also contains three genes specifying tRNAs for Leu, Lys and Trp, and several LTR elements.
Yeast 04/1997; 13(4):357-63. · 1.89 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Yeast exo-1,3-beta-glucanases are secretable proteins whose function is basically trophic and may also be involved in cell wall glucan hydrolytic processes. Since fluorescein di(beta-D-glucopyranoside) is a fluorogenic substrate detectable and quantifiable by flow cytometry, it was used for testing the ability of the EXG1 gene product of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and its homologous gene in Candida albicans to function as reporter genes. These open reading frames were coupled to different promoters in multicopy plasmids, and exoglucanase activity quantified at flow cytometry. Exoglucanases were found to be useful tools for the study of promoter regions in S. cerevisiae. This technique has the advantage over other reporter gene systems--such as beta-galactosidase fusions--that it does not require permeabilization of yeast cells and therefore it allows the recovery of viable cells--by sorting--after flow cytometry analysis.
Yeast 07/1994; 10(6):747-56. · 1.89 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: LYT1 is an essential gene for the growth and morphogenesis of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. A detailed characterization of mutants carrying the lyt1-1 allele showed that this mutation was recessive and pleiotropic, affecting both mitotic and meiotic functions. At the nonpermissive temperature of 37 degrees C, lyt1 haploid strains budded at a distal position (instead of an axial one, as in wild-type haploid strains) and underwent autolysis when the buds were almost the size of the mother cells. These mitotic alterations in cell stability and budding topology were dependent on growth and protein synthesis. Autolysis was prevented by inhibiting DNA synthesis (with hydroxyurea) or by blocking the assembly of microtubules (with benomyl), suggesting that loss of cell viability must occur at a fixed mitotic cycle stage after DNA synthesis and mitotic spindle assembly. On the other hand, lyt1-1/lyt1-1 diploids failed to sporulate at both 24 and 37 degrees C. Taking into account these characteristics, the lyt1 mutant could be considered a cdc-like mutant. By genetic transformation of an appropriate lyt1 strain with a genomic library, ligated to the multicopy vector YEp13, we isolated a gene capable of complementing mitotic alterations but not the meiotic defect. This was the sporulation-specific gene SPO12, which is expressed under the control of the locus MAT in meiosis and is also expressed in the mitotic cycle (V. Parkes and L. H. Johnston, Nucleic Acids Res. 20:5617-5623, 1992). A significant level of SPO12 mRNA can be detected when this gene is inserted in a multicopy plasmid.
Journal of Bacteriology 11/1993; 175(20):6562-70. · 3.83 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Simple methods, based on the technique of flow cytometry, have been developed for the phenotypic characterization of yeast autolytic mutants and for the analysis of the formation and regeneration of the yeast protoplasts. The expression of lytic mutations determined uptake of the fluorescent dye propidium iodide, which could be carefully monitored by flow cytometry. Mixed populations of lysed and viable cells were precisely quantified and sorted, and the technique was also applied to demonstrate protection from lysis of mutant cells with cell wall defects, in the presence of osmotic stabilizers. Protoplast formation and regeneration was monitored by analysing relative cell size; this was facilitated by the preparation of homogeneous protoplast preparations. The technique of flow cytometry proved superior to other conventional methods for these types of study.
Yeast 02/1992; 8(1):39-45. · 1.89 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: An exo-1,3-beta-glucanase was purified from blastoconidia of Candida albicans 1001. The purified enzyme appeared as a single protein band by PAGE, and split into two subunits (Mr approximately 63,000 and 44,000) when analysed by SDS-PAGE. The pI of the enzyme was 4 and a Km of 1.7 mg ml-1 was estimated for laminarin as substrate. Despite its very reduced activity on the synthetic substrate p-nitrophenyl beta-D-glucoside, C. albicans exo-1,3-beta-glucanase hydrolysed 1,3-beta-glucan by an exo-splitting mechanism and was inhibited by glucono-delta-lactone and by Hg2+ and Ag+ cations. The active exo-glucanase was mainly located in the periplasm, but it was also present inside the cytoplasmic membrane in small amounts and was secreted into the culture medium. The electrophoretic mobility of the enzyme from all three locations was the same.
Journal of general microbiology 03/1989; 135(Pt 2):309-14.
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ABSTRACT: The complement of glucan-hydrolysing enzymes produced by yeast species is considered to be relevant to morphogenesis, since this polysaccharide is the major structural component of the yeast cell wall. beta-glucanase systems of different species consist of both 1,3-beta- and 1,6-beta-hydrolases, which exert their action by either an exo- or an endo-splitting mechanism. The diversity of beta-glucanase systems, even among related species, is striking. The enzymes are produced for export, and the active forms of some of them seem to be generated upon secretion. Genetic approaches and the cloning of the glucanase genes are being used to clarify the biological role of the different enzymes. These also offer a possibility for genetic analysis of the functions related to cell wall dynamics with potential applications in biotechnology.
Microbiological sciences 12/1988; 5(11):328-32.
