http://www.springerlink.com/content/x414388018544382/
Identification and Characterization of Genes Induced During Sexual
Differentiation in
Schizosaccharomyces pombe
Shusei Sato1, 4, Hideki Suzuki2, Utut Widyastuti1, 3, Yasuo Hotta1 and Satoshi Tabata1, 4
(1) Department of Biology, School of Science, Nagoya University, Furoh-cho, Chikusa-ku, 464-01 Nagoya, Japan; (2) Research Institute for Biological Sciences, Ajinomoto Co. LTD, Maeda-cho, Totsuka-ku, 244 Yokohama, Japan; (3) Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and
Science, Bogor Agriculture Institute, Pajajaran, 16143 Bogor, Indonesia; (4) Present address:
Kazusa DNA Research Institute, 473-2 Okanazawa Midori-ku, 266 Chiba, Japan
Received: 25 October 1993; Accepted: 13 December 1993
Abstract
Five cDNA clones, harboring genetic messages preferentially expressed during the sexual differentiation process, were isolated from a cDNA library of Schizosaccharomyces pombe by subtractive screening. Transcription of the corresponding genes, termed isp3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, was dependent on nitrogen starvation and their induction occurred at several stages of spore formation. Analysis of the cDNA prmary structures revealed a capacity for the coding of polypeptides of 19.2 kDa, 88.3 kDa, 60.1 kDa, 49.7 kDa, and 43.8 kDa, respectively. The translated amino-acid sequences of isp5 and isp6 were found to show significant similarities to those of amino-acid permeases and proteinase B of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, respectively. Disruption of isp6 arrested the cell cycle prior to conjugation and caused a drastic blocking effect on spore formation.
