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N Gunge

Publications and source records attributed to N Gunge.

49 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Intergeneric transfer of deoxyribonucleic acid killer plasmids, pGKl1 and pGKl2, from Kluyveromyces lactis into Saccharomyces cerevisiae by cell fusion.

Two novel linear deoxyribonucleic acid plasmids, pGKl1 and pGKl2, were isolated from the yeast Kluyveromyces lactis. K. lactis strains harboring the pGK1 plasmids killed a certain group of yeasts, including Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Saccharomyces italicus, Saccharomyces rouxii, K. lactis, Kluyveromyces thermotolerans, Kluyvermyces vanudenii, Torulopsis glabrata, Candida utilis, and Candida intermedia. In this experiment, the pGKl1 and pGKl2 plasmids were intergenerically transferred from a K. lactis killer strain into a non-killer (killer-sensitive) strain of S. cerevisiae by the use of a protoplast fusion technique. Both of the pGKl plasmids replicated autonomously and stably in the new host cells of S. cerevisiae and could coexist with the resident 2-micrometers deoxyribonucleic acid plasmid. The S. cerevisiae cells which accepted the pGKl plasmids expressed the same killer phenotype as that of the donor K. lactis killer and became resistant to the K. lactis killer. The pGKl plasmids existing in the S. cerevisiae cells were cured by treatment with ethidium bromide, and the killer and resistance characters were simultaneously lost. From there results, it was concluded that both the killer and the resistance genes are located on the pGKl plasmids.

Ascomycota↗

Curing of the killer deoxyribonucleic acid plasmids of Kluyveromyces lactis.

Ultraviolet irradiation gave rise to frequent curing of killer plasmids pGKl1 and pGK12 of Kluyveromyces lactis. Almost all of the nonkillers obtained lost both plasmids, but one of them lost only pGKl1. The disappearance of pGKl1 was accompanied by the simultaneous loss of the killer activity and of the resistance to the killer factor. A new plasmid, pGKl1S, was obtained, which arose from a deletion in the central region of pGKl1. Genetic analysis suggested that pGKl1S has the killer gene lost by the deletion and the resistance gene intact and that pGKl1S shares the same replication control with pGKl1.

Ascomycota↗

Effects of elevation of strain-ploidy on transmission and recombination of mitochondrial drug resistance genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

In order to study the effects of strainploidy on the transmission and recombination of the mitochondrial genes C, E and O conferring the resistance to chloramphenicol, erythromycin and oligomycin, respectively, haploids were crossed to diploids and the results of genetic analysis were compared with those from haploid X haploid crosses. All haploid X haploid crosses showed an increased transmission of diploid derived alleles, relative to haploid derived ones, but the pattern of increase differed between homosexual and heterosexual crosses. In omega-haploid X omega-diploid homosexual crosses, the increase was of roughly equal magnitude at the C, E and O LOCI: there was a polar co-transmission of the diploid derived alleles. In omega plus haploid by omega-diploid heterosexual crosses, on the contrary, a differential increase was observed at the different loci, the magnitude being the smallest at the C locus and the largest at the O locus. As a result, there was a preferential transmission in favor of the haploid derived C alleles and of the diploid derived O alleles. A near equal transmission from both parents was observed for the E alleles. A decrease and an increase in the recombination frequency were noticed in the above haploid by diploid homosexual and heterosexual crosses, respectively. The above phenomena were ascribed to different dosages of mitochrondrial genomes from parents. Experimental data were well accorded with the theoretical expectation which were obtained on the assumptions that diploids contain twice as many mitochondrial genomes as haploids, and that random pairings and recombination would occur among mitochrondrial genomes from parents. The elevation of strain-ploidy did not affect the recombination polarity which is under the control of the omega gene. It was theoretically predicted that a preferential transmission in favor of diploid derived alleles at all the C, E and O loci would be seen in omega-haploid x omega plus diploid heterosexual crosses as well as in omega plus haploid x omega plus diploid homosexual crosses, but that the magnitude of the polar transmission would vary depending upon the loci in the former crosses, while it would be the same at all the loci in the latter ones. The recombination frequency was predicted to decrease in both of these crosses.

Chloramphenicol↗

Genetic analysis of unequal transmission of the mitochondrial markers in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The presence of mitochondrial sex factor, omega, was demonstrated in haploid strains of yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae which came from our laboratory. Transmission and recombination of the mitochondrial genes (CR/CS, ER/ES and OR/OS), conferring the resistance/sensitivity to chloramphenicol, erythromycin and oligomycin, respectively, were non-polar in homosexual crosses and highly polar in heterosexual crosses. Different results were obtained in crosses involving an erythromycin resistant mutant G706E11 (CSEROS) which was found to contain cellular DNA of diploid level. This strain was omega- and showed no alleles from G706E11 (CS, ER and OS) were transmitted to the zygote progeny in preference to the CR, ES and OR alleles. When crossed to omega+ haploid strains, there was a highly polar recombination, but no transmission was seen for the E and O alleles. Polar transmission of markers from omega+ haploid parental strain, characteristic of heterosexual crosses, was noticed only for the C allele. The crosses of G706E11 to omega+ haploids featured an increase in the recombination frequency. The values of % suppressiveness of sigma- petite mutants were relatively low when determined by crossing to G706E11 or to sigma+ diploid strain M2-8C rather than by crossing to sigma+ haploid strains, indicating that there is a positive correlation between the polar transmission of drug resistance markers and the suppressiveness degrees. Genetic mechanism of the anomalous behaviors if mitochondrial genes in crosses involving G706E11 was discussed and interpreted as due to an unbalanced supply of mitochondrial genomes from parental strains.

Alleles↗

Mating type locus-dependent stability of the Kluyveromyces linear pGKL plasmids in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The linear killer plasmids, pGKL1 and pGKL2, from Kluyveromyces lactis stably replicated in mitochondrial DNA-deficient (rho 0) MATa or MAT alpha haploids of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, but were unstable and frequently lost in rho 0 MATa/MAT alpha diploids, suggesting that the replication of pGKL plasmids was under the control of the MAT locus. In MATa/MAT alpha cells of S. cerevisiae, the MAT alpha gene product (alpha 2) is combined with the MATa gene product (a1) and the resultant protein, a1-alpha 2, acts to repress the expression of haploid specific genes. Experiments showed that the K. lactis linear plasmids were stably maintained in rho 0 mata1/MAT alpha diploids, indicating that the a1-alpha 2 repressor interfered with the stability of pGKL2. It was revealed by computer analysis that the consensus sequence homologous to the a1-alpha 2 repressor binding site occurred within the coding regions of pGKL2 genes which were presumed to be essential for the plasmid replication. Since the plasmids were stably maintained in diploids of K. lactis, the mating type control must not be working there.

Base Sequence↗

Osmophilic linear plasmids from the salt-tolerant yeast Debaryomyces hansenii.

Three novel linear plasmids, pDHL1 (8.4 kb), pDHL2 (9.2 kb) and pDHL3 (15.0 kb), were discovered in the halophilic (salt-tolerant) yeast Debaryomyces hansenii. Exonuclease treatment indicated that all three plasmids were blocked at their 5' ends, presumably, by analogy with most other eukaryotic linear plasmids which involved protein attachment. The Debaryomyces plasmids were entirely cured simply by growing cells in normal culture medium, but were stably maintained in culture medium containing salts, sorbitol or glycerol at suitable concentrations. This suggested that the pDHL plasmids required an osmotic pressure for stable replication and maintenance. The Debaryomyces yeast secreted a killer toxin against various yeasts species. Toxin activity was demonstrated only in the presence of salts such as NaCl or KCl, but this killer phenotype was not associated with the pDHL plasmids. Analysis of the plasmid-curing pattern suggested that pDHL3 may play a key role in the replication of the Debaryomyces plasmids. Southern hybridization showed that an extensive homology exists between specific regions of pDHL1 and pDHL2, whereas pDHL3 is unique.

Blotting, Southern↗

Kluyveromyces lactis killer toxin inhibits adenylate cyclase of sensitive yeast cells.

K1 killer toxin secreted by the K1 strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, has been well characterized. It is a simple protein of molecular weight (MW) 11,470 (ref. 3), encoded by a double-stranded, linear RNA plasmid, called M RNA, of MW 1.1-1.7 x 10(6) (refs 4-6). It is lethal to sensitive Saccharomyces cerevisiae which does not carry M RNA. Leakage of K+ and ATP is the first distinct response in sensitive cells, and the toxic action is thought to be due to its action as a protonophore or K+ ionophore. Recently, a further killer toxin has been found in Kluyveromyces lactis IFO 1267, and it is associated with the presence of the double-stranded linear DNA plasmids, pGK1-1 (MW 5.4 x 10(6)) and pGK1-2 (MW 8.4 x 10(6)). It has been shown, by curing pGK1-1 or deletion mapping, that the structural gene for the killer toxin and immunity-determining gene reside on the smaller plasmid. Moreover, the plasmids could be transferred from K. lactis to S. cerevisiae by protoplast fusion and protoplast transformation. As the K. lactis toxin is encoded by a DNA plasmid and has a relatively wider action spectrum than K1 killer toxin, the mode of action of the toxin is highly interesting. Here we report that K. lactis toxin inhibits adenylate cyclase in sensitive yeast cells and brings about arrest of the cells at the G1 stage.

1-Methyl-3-isobutylxanthine↗