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Updated: Aug 8, 2026

Genetic Studies of Human DNA Repair Proteins Using Yeast as a Model System
Published on: March 18, 2010
Reconstruction of human genome evolution in yeast: an educational primer for use with "systematic humanization of the
Zuzana Brzáčová1, Mária Peťková1, Katarína Veljačiková1
1Department of Genetics, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava 842 15, Slovakia.
Abstract:
The evolution of eukaryotic organisms starting with the last eukaryotic common ancestor was accompanied by lineage-specific expansion of gene families. A paper by Garge et al. provides an excellent opportunity to have students explore how expansion of gene families via gene duplication results in protein specialization, in this case in the context of eukaryotic cytoskeletal organization . The authors tested hypotheses about conserved protein function by systematic "humanization" of the yeast cytoskeletal components while employing a wide variety of methodological approaches. We outline several exercises to promote students' ability to explore the genomic databases, perform bioinformatic analyses, design experiments for functional analysis of human genes in yeast and critically interpret results to address both specific and general questions.
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