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Updated: Apr 18, 2026
Genetic Mapping of Thermotolerance Differences Between Species of Saccharomyces Yeast via Genome-Wide Reciprocal Hemizygosity Analysis
Published on: August 12, 2019
Analysis of the essentiality of ROM2 genes in the pathogenic yeasts Candida glabrata and Candida albicans using
T Kanno1, D Takekawa, Y Miyakawa
1Division of Biotechnology, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine and Engineering, University of Yamanashi, Kofu, Yamanashi, Japan.
Aims:
To analyse the essentiality of the ROM2 genes originating from the pathogenic yeasts Candida glabrata and Candida albicans by using temperature-sensitive (ts) mutants.
Methods And Results:
Based on the general concepts that ts mutations are generated by virtue of point mutation within essential genes, we have previously established a novel method (termed 'ETS system' for screening and identification of essential genes using ts mutants of C. glabrata). According to this ETS system, the present study successfully identified a putative C. glabrata ROM2 homologue as an essential gene that complements its point mutation (Cys-1275/Tyr substitution). The C. albicans ROM2 mutant (Cys-1281/Tyr), constructed patterned after this point mutation, also displayed ts phenotype. Both ts mutants recovered colony-forming ability, with concomitant suppression of lysis phenotype, at the elevated temperature in the presence of 1 mol l(-1) sorbitol as an osmotic stabilizer. Sequence alignment revealed that human genome possesses relatively low homology against Rom2 homologues, which are highly conserved among yeast species.
Conclusions:
ROM2 genes of C. glabrata and C. albicans are essential for viability, probably involved in cell wall integrity.
Significance And Impact Of The Study:
ROM2 genes essential for both Candida species may be a potentially useful antifungal targets from chemotherapeutic viewpoint.
