The genome sequence of Schizosaccharomyces pombe

We have sequenced and annotated the genome of fission yeast (Schizosaccharomyces pombe), which contains the smallest number of protein-coding genes yet recorded for a eukaryote: 4,824. The centromeres are between 35 and 110 kilobases (kb) and contain related repeats including a highly conserved 1.8-kb element. Regions upstream of genes are longer than in budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), possibly reflecting more-extended control regions. Some 43% of the genes contain introns, of which there are 4,730. Fifty genes have significant similarity with human disease genes; half of these are cancer related. We identify highly conserved genes important for eukaryotic cell organization including those required for the cytoskeleton, compartmentation, cell-cycle control, proteolysis, protein phosphorylation and RNA splicing. These genes may have originated with the appearance of eukaryotic life. Few similarly conserved genes that are important for multicellular organization were identified, suggesting that the transition from prokaryotes to eukaryotes required more new genes than did the transition from unicellular to multicellular organization.

Analysis of 41 kb of the DNA sequence from the right arm of chromosome II of Schizosaccharomyces pombe

We report the complete sequence of cosmid c18A7 (41 046 bp insert), located on the right arm of chromosome II of the Schizosaccharomyces pombe genome. The sequence, which partially overlaps with cosmids SPBC4F6 and SPBC336, contains 16 open reading frames (ORFs) capable of coding for proteins of at least 100 amino acid residues in length (one partial) and one small nucleolar RNA (snoRNA). Four known genes were found: swi10 (encoding a mating-type switching protein also involved in nucleotide excision repair); dim1 (encoding a dimethyladenosine transferase); arf1 (encoding ADP-ribosylation factor 1); and pol3 (cdc6) the partial fragment, encoding the 125 kDa catalytic subunit of the DNA polymerase type B. Six ORFs similar to known proteins were found. They include a transporter of the major facilitator superfamily class, a vacuolar sorting protein, an asparagine synthase, a nuclear protein, a reticulum oxidoreductin and a heat shock protein. Each protein product of the other six ORFs has conserved domains and can be assigned a molecular, but not a biological, function. The sequence has been submitted to the EMBL database under Accession No. AL080287.

DNA sequencing and analysis of a 40 kb region from the right arm of chromosome II from Schizosaccharomyces pombe

We have determined the complete nucleotide sequence of a 39,648 bp segment, contained in cosmid c32F12, derived from the right arm of chromosome II from the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Computer analysis of the sequence revealed the presence of 15 non-overlapping open reading-frames (ORFs) longer than 300 bp and one tRNA-Thr gene. Six ORFs correspond to the previously known rec14+, tug1+, rum1+, pch1+, gpd1+ and cyr1+ genes. Five ORFs code for putative proteins with significant homology to proteins from other organisms. SPBC32F12.01c shows considerable similarity to human neutral sphingomyelinase, whereas SPBC32F12.03c, SPBC32F12.10 and SPBC32F12.14 exhibit strong homology to glutathione peroxidase, phosphoglucomutase and ubiquitin protein ligase E-3 components from various organisms, respectively. The four remaining ORFs identified show weak or non-significant homology to previously sequenced genes. The nucleotide sequence has been submitted to the EMBL database under Accession Number AL023796.

SWM1, a developmentally regulated gene, is required for spore wall assembly in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Meiosis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is followed by encapsulation of haploid nuclei within multilayered spore walls. Formation of this spore-specific wall requires the coordinated activity of enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of its components. Completion of late events in the sporulation program, leading to spore wall formation, requires the SWM1 gene. SWM1 is expressed at low levels during vegetative growth but its transcription is strongly induced under sporulating conditions, with kinetics similar to those of middle sporulation-specific genes. Homozygous swm1Delta diploids proceed normally through both meiotic divisions but fail to produce mature asci. Consistent with this finding, swm1Delta mutant asci display enhanced sensitivity to enzymatic digestion and heat shock. Deletion of SWM1 specifically affects the expression of mid-late and late sporulation-specific genes. All of the phenotypes observed are similar to those found for the deletion of SPS1 or SMK1, two putative components of a sporulation-specific MAP kinase cascade. However, epistasis analyses indicate that Swm1p does not form part of the Sps1p-Smk1p-MAP kinase pathway. We propose that Swm1p, a nuclear protein, would participate in a different signal transduction pathway that is also required for the coordination of the biochemical and morphological events occurring during the last phase of the sporulation program.

Cloning and characterization of 1,3-beta-glucanase-encoding genes from non-conventional yeasts

The molecular cloning of 1,3-beta-glucanase-encoding genes from different yeast species was achieved by screening genomic libraries with DNA probes obtained by PCR-amplification using oligonucleotides designed according to conserved regions in the EXG1, EXG2 and SSG1 genes from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The nucleotide sequence of the KlEXG1 (Kluyveromyces lactis), HpEXG1 (Hansenula polymorpha) and SoEXG1 (Schwanniomyces occidentalis) genes was determined. K1EXG1 consists of a 1287 bp open reading frame encoding a protein of 429 amino acids (49,815 Da). HpEXG1 specifies a 435-amino acid polypeptide (49,268 Da) which contains two potential N-glycosylation sites. SoEXG1 encodes a protein of 425 residues (49,132 Da) which contains one potential site for N-linked glycosylation. Expression in S. cerevisiae of KlEXG1, SoEXG1 or HpEXG1 under control of their native promoters resulted in the secretion of active 1,3-beta-glucanases. Disruption of KlEXG1 did not result in a phenotype under laboratory conditions. Comparison of the primary translation products encoded by KlEXG1, HpEXG1 and SoEXG1 with the previously characterized exo-1,3-beta-glucanases from S. cerevisiae and C. albicans reveals that enzymes with this type of specificity constitute a family of highly conserved proteins in yeasts. KlExg1p, HpExg1p and SoExg1p contain the invariant amino acid positions which have been shown to be important in the catalytic function of family 5 glycosyl hydrolases.

Disruption and basic phenotypic analysis of six novel genes from the left arm of chromosome XIV of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

We describe here the construction of six deletion mutants and their basic phenotypic analysis in three different backgrounds. The six genes were disrupted in three diploid strains (FY1679, W303 and CEN.PK2) by the long flanking homology (LFH) method (Wach, 1996). Transformants were selected as geneticin (G418)-resistant colonies and correct integration of the kanMX4 cassette was checked by colony PCR. Following sporulation of the heterozygous diploids, tetrads were dissected and scored for segregation of G418-resistance and auxotrophic markers. One of the six ORFs (YNL158w) corresponds to an essential gene which has no homology with other genes present in the databases and has two predicted transmembrane domains. Growth tests performed on different media at 15 degrees C, 30 degrees C or 37 degrees C with haploid deletants of the five non-essential genes revealed no apparent phenotype in any of them.

The nucleotide sequence of Saccharomyces cerevisiae chromosome IV

The complete DNA sequence of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae chromosome IV has been determined. Apart from chromosome XII, which contains the 1-2 Mb rDNA cluster, chromosome IV is the longest S. cerevisiae chromosome. It was split into three parts, which were sequenced by a consortium from the European Community, the Sanger Centre, and groups from St Louis and Stanford in the United States. The sequence of 1,531,974 base pairs contains 796 predicted or known genes, 318 (39.9%) of which have been previously identified. Of the 478 new genes, 225 (28.3%) are homologous to previously identified genes and 253 (32%) have unknown functions or correspond to spurious open reading frames (ORFs). On average there is one gene approximately every two kilobases. Superimposed on alternating regional variations in G+C composition, there is a large central domain with a lower G+C content that contains all the yeast transposon (Ty) elements and most of the tRNA genes. Chromosome IV shares with chromosomes II, V, XII, XIII and XV some long clustered duplications which partly explain its origin.

Papulacandin B resistance in budding and fission yeasts: isolation and characterization of a gene involved in (1,3)beta-D-glucan synthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Papulacandin B, an antifungal agent that interferes with the synthesis of yeast cell wall (1,3)beta-D-glucan, was used to isolate resistant mutants in Schizosaccharomyces pombe and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The resistance to papulacandin B always segregated as a recessive character that defines a single complementation group in both yeasts (pbr1+ and PBR1, respectively). Determination of several kinetic parameters of (1,3)beta-D-glucan synthase activity revealed no differences between S. pombe wild-type and pbr1 mutant strains except in the 50% inhibitory concentration for papulacandin B of the synthases (about a 50-fold increase in mutant activity). Inactivation of the synthase activity of both yeasts after in vivo treatment with the antifungal agent showed that mutant synthases were more resistant than the corresponding wild-type ones. Detergent dissociation of the S. pombe synthase into soluble and particulate fractions and subsequent reconstitution indicated that the resistance character of pbr1 mutants resides in the particulate fraction of the enzyme. Cloning and sequencing of PBR1 from S. cerevisiae revealed a gene identical to others recently reported (FKS1, ETG1, CWH53, and CND1). Its disruption leads to reduced levels of both (1,3)beta-D-glucan synthase activity and the alkali-insoluble cell wall fraction. Transformants containing the PBR1 gene reverse the defect in (1,3)beta-D-glucan synthase. It is concluded that Pbr1p is probably part of the (1,3)beta-D-glucan synthase complex.

Molecular basis of cell integrity and morphogenesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

In fungi and many other organisms, a thick outer cell wall is responsible for determining the shape of the cell and for maintaining its integrity. The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been a useful model organism for the study of cell wall synthesis, and over the past few decades, many aspects of the composition, structure, and enzymology of the cell wall have been elucidated. The cell wall of budding yeasts is a complex and dynamic structure; its arrangement alters as the cell grows, and its composition changes in response to different environmental conditions and at different times during the yeast life cycle. In the past few years, we have witnessed a profilic genetic and molecular characterization of some key aspects of cell wall polymer synthesis and hydrolysis in the budding yeast. Furthermore, this organism has been the target of numerous recent studies on the topic of morphogenesis, which have had an enormous impact on our understanding of the intracellular events that participate in directed cell wall synthesis. A number of components that direct polarized secretion, including those involved in assembly and organization of the actin cytoskeleton, secretory pathways, and a series of novel signal transduction systems and regulatory components have been identified. Analysis of these different components has suggested pathways by which polarized secretion is directed and controlled. Our aim is to offer an overall view of the current understanding of cell wall dynamics and of the complex network that controls polarized growth at particular stages of the budding yeast cell cycle and life cycle.

Complete DNA sequence of yeast chromosome XI

The complete DNA sequence of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae chromosome XI has been determined. In addition to a compact arrangement of potential protein coding sequences, the 666,448-base-pair sequence has revealed general chromosome patterns; in particular, alternating regional variations in average base composition correlate with variations in local gene density along the chromosome. Significant discrepancies with the previously published genetic map demonstrate the need for using independent physical mapping criteria.

The complete sequence of an 18,002 bp segment of Saccharomyces cerevisiae chromosome XI contains the HBS1, MRP-L20 and PRP16 genes, and six new open reading frames

We report the sequence of an 18,002 bp DNA fragment from the right arm of Saccharomyces cerevisiae chromosome XI. This segment contains nine complete open reading frames (ORFs), YKR401 to YKR409, and part of another ORF, YKR400, covering altogether 87.2% of the entire sequence. One of them, YKR400, encodes an NAD-dependent 5,10-methylene-tetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase. YKR404, YKR405 and YKR406 correspond to the previously characterized HBS1, MRP-L20 and PRP16 genes, coding for a translation elongation factor, a mitochondrial ribosomal protein and an ATP-binding protein, respectively. The putative product of YKR407 contains the zinc-binding region signature of neutral zinc metallopeptidases. The five other ORFs do not show significant homology to any known protein.

SSG1, a gene encoding a sporulation-specific 1,3-beta-glucanase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the meiotic process is accompanied by a large increase in 1,3-beta-glucan-degradative activity. The molecular cloning of the gene (SSG1) encoding a sporulation-specific exo-1,3-beta-glucanase was achieved by screening a genomic library with a DNA probe obtained by polymerase chain reaction amplification using synthetic oligonucleotides designed according to the nucleotide sequence predicted from the amino-terminal region of the purified protein. DNA sequencing indicates that the SSG1 gene specifies a 445-amino-acid polypeptide (calculated molecular mass, 51.8 kDa) showing extensive similarity to the extracellular exo-1,3-beta-glucanases encoded by the EXG1 gene (C. R. Vazquez de Aldana, J. Correa, P. San Segundo, A. Bueno, A. R. Nebreda, E. Mendez, and F. del Rey, Gene 97:173-182, 1991). The N-terminal domain of the putative precursor is a very hydrophobic segment with structural features resembling those of signal peptides of secreted proteins. Northern (RNA) analysis reveals a unique SSG1-specific transcript, 1.7 kb long, which can be detected only in sporulating diploids (MATa/MAT alpha) but does not appear in vegetatively growing cells or in nonsporulating diploids (MAT alpha/MAT alpha) when incubated under nitrogen starvation conditions. The meiotic time course of SSG1 induction indicates that the gene is transcribed only in the late stages of the process, beginning at the time of meiosis I and reaching a maximum during spore formation. Homozygous ssg1/ssg1 mutant diploids are able to complete sporulation, although with a significant delay in the appearance of mature asci.

Genetic mapping of 1,3-beta-glucanase-encoding genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The map position of three 1,3-beta-glucanase-encoding genes in S. cerevisiae has been determined following conventional meiotic and mitotic mapping combined with recombinant DNA techniques. EXG1, EXG2 and SSG1 were localized to chromosomes XII, IV and XV, respectively, by hybridizing the cloned genes to Southern blots of chromosomes separated by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, in conjunction with the rad52-1-dependent chromosome-loss mapping technique. Meiotic tetrad analyses further localized the EXG1 gene 6.1 centimorgans centromere-proximal to CDC25 on the right arm of chromosome XII. EXG2 was positioned between LYS4 and GCN2 on the right arm of chromosome IV, at distances of 6.2 centimorgans from LYS4 and 4.9 centimorgans from GCN2. Finally, the SSG1 locus mapped on the right arm of chromosome XV, about 8.2 centimorgans to the centromere-proximal side of HIS3.

Nucleotide sequence of the exo-1,3-beta-glucanase-encoding gene, EXG1, of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The nucleotide (nt) sequence of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene (EXG1) encoding extracellular exo-1,3-beta-glucanases (EXG) I and II was determined. An open reading frame of 1344 bp codes for a 448-amino acid (aa) polypeptide, with a calculated Mr of 51,307, which contains two potential N-glycosylation sites. The EXG1 DNA hybridizes to a 1.7-kb transcript whose 5' end maps to a position 98 bp upstream from the site of initiation of protein synthesis. Comparison of the N-terminal aa sequence deduced from the nt sequence with that of the purified EXGII revealed the existence of an extra 40-aa peptide in the precursor protein containing a Lys-Arg peptidase-processing site at the junction with the mature, extracellular form. The N-terminal region of the putative precursor is a very hydrophobic segment with structural features resembling those of signal peptides of secreted proteins. The Mr of the mature EXG polypeptide deduced from the nt sequence is 46,385. The 5'- and 3'-flanking regions of the EXG1 gene have structural features in common with other yeast genes.

Synthesis and secretion of a Bacillus circulans WL-12 1,3-1,4-beta-D-glucanase in Escherichia coli

The synthesis and secretion of a 1,3-1,4-beta-D-glucanase were studied in different strains of Escherichia coli transformed with plasmids carrying the Bacillus circulans WL-12 1,3-1,4-beta-D-glucanase structural gene. This gene (named BGC) is contained within a 1.9-kilobase BamHI-HindIII fragment and directs the synthesis in E. coli of an enzyme that specifically degrades lichenan. Only one active form of the enzyme was found when the gene was expressed in different E. coli strains. The electrophoretic pattern of this protein showed a molecular weight that was approximately the same as that of the mature beta-glucanase secreted from B. circulans WL-12, suggesting that the processing of this protein may be similar in both species. As deduced from maxicell experiments, the Bacillus parental promoter directs the synthesis in E. coli. Pulse-chase experiments showed that the protein may be cotranslationally processed.

Heterogeneous glycosylation of the EXG1 gene product accounts for the two extracellular exo-beta-glucanases of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Two exo-beta-glucanases of glycoprotein nature can be detected in culture supernatants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells. These exo-beta-glucanases show different Mr values and kinetic properties, although they are immunologically related. Their carbohydrate content and the electrophoretic mobility of both endoglycosidase H-treated exo-beta-glucanases suggest that they share the same protein fraction. Studies at genetic level relate the production of both extracellular exo-beta-glucanases with the expression of a single-copy gene in S. cerevisiae. Expression of this gene in another yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, demonstrates that it codes for a protein with exo-beta-glucanase activity whose heterogeneous N-glycosylation accounts for both extracellular exo-beta-glucanases of S. cerevisiae.

Cloning of genes related to exo-beta-glucanase production in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: characterization of an exo-beta-glucanase structural gene

The EXG1 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was cloned and identified by complementation of a mutant strain (exg1-2) with highly reduced extracellular exo-beta-1,3-glucanase (EXG) activity. Two recombinant plasmids containing an overlapping region of 5.2 kb were isolated from a genomic DNA library and characterized by restriction mapping. The coding region was located by subcloning the original DNA inserts in a 2.7-kb HindIII-XhoI fragment. Exg+ strains and Exg- mutants transformed with yeast multicopy plasmids containing this DNA fragment showed an EXG activity 5- to 20-fold higher than for the untransformed Exg+ wild-type (wt) strains. The overproduced EXG had the same enzymic activity on different substrates, and showed the same electrophoretic behaviour on polyacrylamide gels and identical properties upon filtration through Sephacryl S-200 as those of the main EXG from Exg+ wt strains. The EXG1 gene transformed Schizosaccharomyces pombe, yielding extracellular EXG activity which showed cross-reactivity with anti-S. cervisiae EXG antibodies. A fragment including only a part of the EXG1 region was subcloned into the integrating vector YIp5, and the resulting plasmid was used to transform an Exg+ strain. Genetic and Southern analysis of several stable Exg- transformants showed that the fragment integrated by homology with the EXG1 locus. The chromosomal DNA fragment into which the plasmid integrated has a restriction pattern identical to that of the fragment on which we had previously identified the putative EXG1 gene. Only one copy of the EXG1 gene per genome was found in several strains tested by Southern analysis. Furthermore, two additional recombinant plasmids sharing a yeast DNA fragment of about 4.1 kb, which partially complements the exg1-2 mutation but which shows no homology with the 2.7-kb fragment containing the EXG1 gene, were also identified in this study. This 4.1-kb DNA fragment does not appear to contain an extragenic suppressor and could be related in some way to EXG production in S. cerevisiae.

The histidine tRNA genes of yeast

Yeast has at least seven nuclear histidine tRNA genes although there is a single tRNAHis. We have sequenced three of the histidine tRNA genes. The genes have identical coding sequences and the DNA anti-codon sequence GTG corresponds to the GUG anti-codon in tRNAHis. None of the three yeast histidine tRNA genes has an intervening sequence. Two of the three genes contain repeated DNA elements in the region adjacent to the 5' end of the histidine tRNA gene. One of the elements, sigma, is 18 base pairs (bp) from the 5' end of each of these genes, sigma elements are highly conserved and flanked by 5-bp repeats. The other element, delta, is at variable distances from the tRNA gene; one is 439 bp from a histidine tRNA gene and the other is 52 bp from a histidine tRNA gene. These solo delta elements are quite divergent when compared with delta s associated with transposon yeast elements and are not flanked by 5-bp repeats.

Synthesis of beta-glucanases during sporulation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: formation of a new, sporulation-specific 1,3-beta-glucanase

A biphasic synthesis of 1,3-beta-glucanase occurred when cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae AP-1 (a/alpha) were incubated in sporulation medium. The capacity to degrade laminarin increased very slowly during the first 7 h but at a much faster rate thereafter. Changes occurring during the first period were not sporulation specific since the moderate increase in activity against laminarin was insensitive to glutamine and hydroxyurea and also took place in the nonsporulating strain S. cerevisiae AP-1 (alpha/alpha). However, the changes taking place after 7 h must be included in the group of sporulation-specific events since they were inhibited by glucose, glutamine, and hydroxyurea and did not occur in the nonsporulating diploid. Consequently, only when the cells had been incubated for at least 7 h in sporulation medium did full induction of activity against laminarin take place upon shift to a medium which favored vegetative growth. Changes in the relative proportions of the vegetative glucanases, namely, endo- and exo-1,3-beta-glucanase, and the formation of a new sporulation-specific 1,3-beta-glucanase account for the observed events and are the consequence of the expression of the sporulation program.

Synthesis of 1,3-beta-glucanases in Saccharomyces cerevisiae during the mitotic cycle, mating, and sporulation

Upon fractionating Saccharomyces cerevisiae asynchronous cultures by sucrose density gradient centrifugation in a zonal rotor and examining the exo-1,3-beta-glucanase and deoxyribonucleic acid content of the cells, a periodic step increase in the activity of this enzyme was observed, indicating a discontinuous pattern of synthesis or activation of exo-1,3-beta-glucanase during the mitotic cycle at the transition from the S to the G(2) phase. Similar results were obtained for endo-1,3-beta-glucanase by assaying activity against oxidized laminarin in permeabilized cells, suggesting that the synthesis of endo-1,3-beta-glucanase is controlled in the same way. When a and alpha strains were mated, the specific activity of cell extracts against laminarin, oxidized laminarin, and pustulan remained constant while zygote formation was taking place. However, when growth resumed, active synthesis of 1,3-beta-glucanases took place as shown by the occurrence of a significant increase in the specific activity against the three substrates. Specific changes in the level of glucan degradative enzymes, not observed in a haploid parental strain, occurred when the diploid S. cerevisiae AP-1 was induced to sporulate. The sporulation process triggered the activation of first the pustulan degradative capacity and then the capacity to hydrolyze oxidized laminarin. The specific activity against this substrate was 10 times higher than that against pustulan.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutant defective in exo-1,3-beta-glucanase production

Saccharomyces cerevisiae S288C produced two laminarinases (1,3-beta-glucanases) which were separated by diethylaminoethyl-Sephadex column chromatography; one was an endo-1,3-beta-glucanase, and the other was an exo-1,3-beta-glucanase active not only on laminarin but also on pustulan (1,6-beta-glucan) and on p-nitrophenyl-beta-D-glucoside. A mutant defective in the production of this last enzyme was isolated, and the mutation was named exb1-1. The selection procedure was based on the capacity of exo-1,3-beta-glucanase to hydrolyze synthetic glucosides. The level of endo-1,3-beta-glucanase in cell extracts of the mutant was normal, but the exo-1,3-beta-glucanase could not be detected by column chromatographic analysis of these extracts. The mutant phenotype, recessive in heterozygous diploids, was stable through successive meioses and showed a Mendelian segregation, indicating that the mutation affected a single gene, which was named EXB1. The lack of production of exo-1,3-beta-glucanase persisted through all the phases of growth, but growth itself was not impaired by the enzyme deficiency.