FEN2: a gene implicated in the catabolite repression-mediated regulation of ergosterol biosynthesis in yeast

We have isolated and characterized a pleiotropic recessive mutation. fen2-1, that causes resistance to fenpropimorph and a low level of ergosterol in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Ergosterol synthesis in the mutant strain was 5.5-fold slower than in the wild type; however, in vitro assays of the enzymes involved in ergosterol biosynthesis could not account for this low rate in the mutant. The mutant phenotype was expressed only in media exerting both carbon and nitrogen catabolite repression. To our knowledge, this is the first locus in yeast that reveals a concerted regulation between different pathways (carbon and nitrogen catabolite repression and/or general control of amino acid biosynthesis and ergosterol biosynthesis). The yeast gene FEN2 has been isolated and contains an open reading frame (ORF) of 512 codons. This ORF was found to be identical to YCR28C of chromosome III. A possible function of the FEN2 gene product in yeast is discussed.