Schizosaccharomyces pombe: a model for molecular studies of eukaryotic genes

Several features of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe make it exceptionally well suited for the study of eukaryotic genes. It is a relatively simple eukaryote that can be readily grown and manipulated in the laboratory, using a variety of highly developed and sophisticated methodologies. Schizosaccharomyces pombe cells share many molecular, genetic, and biochemical features with cells from multicellular organisms, making it a particularly useful model to study the structure, function, and regulation of genes from more complex species. For examples, this yeast divides by binary fission, has many genes that contain introns, is capable of using mammalian gene promoters and polyadenylation signals, and has been used to clone mammalian genes by functional complementation of mutants. We present a summary of the biology of S. pombe, useful features that make it amenable to laboratory studies, and molecular techniques available to manipulate the genome of this organism as well as other eukaryotic genes within the fission yeast cellular environment.