Genetic analyses involving interactions between the ergosterol biosynthetic enzymes, lanosterol synthase (Erg7p) and 3-ketoreductase (Erg27p), in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Protein-protein interaction studies in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae ergosterol biosynthetic pathway suggest that enzymes in this pathway may act as an integrated multienzyme complex. The yeast sterol 3-ketoreductase (Erg27p) required for C-4 demethylation of sterols has previously been shown to also be required for the function of the upstream oxidosqualene cyclase/lanosterol synthase (Erg7p); thus, erg27 mutants accumulate oxidosqualenes as precursors rather than 3-ketosterones. In the present study, we have created various mutations in the ERG27 gene. These mutations include 5 C-terminal truncations, 6 internal deletions, and 32 point mutants of which 14 were obtained by site-directed mutagenesis and 18 by random mutagenesis. We have characterized these ERG27 mutations by determining the following: Erg27 and Erg7 enzyme activities, presence of Erg27p as determined by western immunoblots, ability to grow on various sterol substrates and GC sterol profiles. Mutations of the predicted catalytic residues, Y202F and K206A, resulted in the endogenous accumulation of 3-ketosterones rather than oxidosqualenes suggesting retention of Erg7 enzyme activity. This novel phenotype demonstrated that the catalytic function of Erg27p can be separated from its Erg7p chaperone ability. Other erg27 mutations resulted in proteins that were present, as determined by western immunoblotting, but unable to interact with the Erg7 protein. We also classify Erg27p as belonging to the SDR (short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase) family of enzymes and demonstrate the possibility of homo- or heterodimerization of the protein. This study provides new insights into the role of Erg27p in sterol biosynthesis.

Ergosterol gene expression in wild-type and ergosterol-deficient mutants of Candida albicans.

The ergosterol pathway is the major target of the azole antifungals. We have developed a panel of five viable ergosterol biosynthetic mutants (erg2, erg3, erg6, erg11 and erg24) and have performed Northern analyses to study transcriptional regulation using probes to four ergosterol biosynthetic genes (ERG2, ERG7, ERG11 and ERG25), as well as probes to two additional genes encoding ergosterol cytochrome coenzymes (CYB5 and NCP1). ERG11, which encodes the sterol 14-demethylase, the direct target of the azole antifungals, was the most up-regulated gene followed by ERG7 and ERG25. Transcription of the four ergosterol genes was most up-regulated in erg24 and erg6 mutant backgrounds, deficient in C-14 reductase and the C-24 sterol transmethylase, respectively. Unexpectedly, we also found that the two cytochrome genes, CYB5 encoding cytochrome b5 and NCP1 encoding the cytochrome P450 reductase, were not regulated markedly different from wild-type in the erg2, erg3, erg6, erg11 and erg24 strains of Candida albicans.

Disruption of the Candida albicans CYB5 gene results in increased azole sensitivity.

Sterol synthesis in fungi is an aerobic process requiring molecular oxygen and, for several cytochrome-mediated reactions, aerobically synthesized heme. Cytochrome b(5) is required for sterol C5-6 desaturation and the encoding gene, CYB5, is nonessential in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Cyb5p and Ncp1p (cytochrome P-450 reductase) appear to have overlapping functions in this organism, with disruptions of each alone being viable. The cytochrome P-450 reductase phenotype has also been shown to demonstrate increased sensitivity to azole antifungals. Based on this phenotype, the CYB5 gene in the human pathogen Candida albicans was investigated to determine whether the cyb5 genotype was viable and would also demonstrate azole sensitivity. Sequential disruption of the CYB5 alleles by direct transformation resulted in viability, presumably conferred by the presence of a third copy of the CYB5 gene. Subsequent disruption procedures with a pMAL2-CYB5 rescue cassette and a CYB5-URA3 blaster cassette resulted in viable cyb5 strains with no third copy. The C. albicans CYB5 gene is concluded to be nonessential. Thus, the essentiality of this gene and whether we observed two or three alleles was dependent upon the gene disruption protocol. The C. albicans cyb5 strains produced a sterol profile containing low ergosterol levels and sterol intermediates similar to that reported for the S. cerevisiae cyb5. The C. albicans cyb5 shows increased sensitivity to azoles and terbinafine, an inhibitor of squalene epoxidase, and, unexpectedly, increased resistance to morpholines, which inhibit the ERG2 and ERG24 gene products. These results indicate that an inhibitor of Cyb5p would not be lethal but would make the cell significantly more sensitive to azole treatment.

Candida albicans sterol C-14 reductase, encoded by the ERG24 gene, as a potential antifungal target site.

The incidence of fungal infections has increased dramatically, which has necessitated additional and prolonged use of the available antifungal agents. Increased resistance to the commonly used antifungal agents, primarily the azoles, has been reported, thus necessitating the discovery and development of compounds that would be effective against the major human fungal pathogens. The sterol biosynthetic pathway has proved to be a fertile area for antifungal development, and steps which might provide good targets for novel antifungal development remain. The sterol C-14 reductase, encoded by the ERG24 gene, could be an effective target for drug development since the morpholine antifungals, inhibitors of Erg24p, have been successful in agricultural applications. The ERG24 gene of Candida albicans has been isolated by complementation of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae erg24 mutant. Both copies of the C. albicans ERG24 gene have been disrupted by using short homologous regions of the ERG24 gene flanking a selectable marker. Unlike S. cerevisiae, the C. albicans ERG24 gene was not required for growth, but erg24 mutants showed several altered phenotypes. They were demonstrated to be slowly growing, with doubling times at least twice that of the wild type. They were also shown to be significantly more sensitive to an allylamine antifungal and to selected cellular inhibitors including cycloheximide, cerulenin, fluphenazine, and brefeldin A. The erg24 mutants were also slightly resistant to the azoles. Most importantly, erg24 mutants were shown to be significantly less pathogenic in a mouse model system and failed to produce germ tubes upon incubation in human serum. On the basis of these characteristics, inhibitors of Erg24p would be effective against C. albicans.

A novel gene conserved from yeast to humans is involved in sterol biosynthesis.

The ERG28 gene was originally identified by microarray expression profiling as possibly involved in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae sterol pathway. Microarray analyses suggested that the transcription pattern of ERG28 closely followed that of genes involved in sterol synthesis. ERG28 was also found in Schizosaccharomyces pombe and Arabidopsis as well as humans, and in the latter was shown to be highly expressed in adult testis tissue. All four proteins contain potential transmembrane domain(s). Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of an ERG28-deleted S. cerevisiae strain (which is slow growing but not auxotrophic for ergosterol) indicates a lesion in sterol C-4 demethylation. Sterol profiles indicate accumulation of 3-keto and carboxylic acid sterol intermediates, which are involved in removing the two C-4 methyl groups from the sterol A ring. Similar intermediates have previously been demonstrated to accumulate in erg26 (sterol dehydrogenase/decarboxylase) and erg27 (3-ketoreductase) mutants in yeast. We speculate that the role of the Erg28 protein (Erg28p) may be either to tether Erg26p and Erg27p to the endoplasmic reticulum or to facilitate interaction between these proteins.-Gachotte, D., J. Eckstein, R. Barbuch, T. Hughes, C. Roberts, and M. Bard. A novel gene conserved from yeast to humans is involved in sterol biosynthesis. J. Lipid Res. 2001. 42: 150;-154.

Cloning and sequencing of the Candida albicans C-4 sterol methyl oxidase gene (ERG25) and expression of an ERG25 conditional lethal mutation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The ERG25 gene encoding the Candida albicans C-4 sterol methyl oxidase was cloned and sequenced by complementing a Saccharomyces cerevisiae erg25 mutant with a C. albicans genomic library. The Erg25p is comprised of 308 amino acids and shows 65 and 38% homology to the enzymes from S. cerevisiae and Homo sapiens, respectively. The protein contains three histidine clusters common to nonheme iron-binding enzymes and an endoplasmic reticulum retrieval signal as do the proteins from S. cerevisiae and humans. A temperature-sensitive (ts) conditional lethal mutation of the C. albicans ERG25 was isolated and expressed in S. cerevisiae. Sequence analysis of the ts mutant indicated an amino acid substitution within the region of the protein encompassed by the histidine clusters involved in iron binding. Results indicate that plasmid-borne conditional lethal mutants of target genes have potential use in the rescue of Candida mutations in genes that are essential for viability.

Characterization of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae ERG27 gene encoding the 3-keto reductase involved in C-4 sterol demethylation.

The last unidentified gene encoding an enzyme involved in ergosterol biosynthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been cloned. This gene, designated ERG27, encodes the 3-keto sterol reductase, which, in concert with the C-4 sterol methyloxidase (ERG25) and the C-3 sterol dehydrogenase (ERG26), catalyzes the sequential removal of the two methyl groups at the sterol C-4 position. We developed a strategy to isolate a mutant deficient in converting 3-keto to 3-hydroxy-sterols. An ergosterol auxotroph unable to synthesize sterol or grow without sterol supplementation was mutagenized. Colonies were then selected that were nystatin-resistant in the presence of 3-ketoergostadiene and cholesterol. A new ergosterol auxotroph unable to grow on 3-ketosterols without the addition of cholesterol was isolated. The gene (YLR100w) was identified by complementation. Segregants containing the YLR100w disruption failed to grow on various types of 3-keto sterol substrates. Surprisingly, when erg27 was grown on cholesterol- or ergosterol-supplemented media, the endogenous compounds that accumulated were noncyclic sterol intermediates (squalene, squalene epoxide, and squalene dioxide), and there was little or no accumulation of lanosterol or 3-ketosterols. Feeding experiments in which erg27 strains were supplemented with lanosterol (an upstream intermediate of the C-4 demethylation process) and cholesterol (an end-product sterol) demonstrated accumulation of four types of 3-keto sterols identified by GC/MS and chromatographic properties: 4-methyl-zymosterone, zymosterone, 4-methyl-fecosterone, and ergosta-7,24 (28)-dien-3-one. In addition, a fifth intermediate was isolated and identified by (1)H NMR as a 4-methyl-24, 25-epoxy-cholesta-7-en-3-one. Implications of these results are discussed.

Transcriptional regulation of the squalene synthase gene (ERG9) in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The ergosterol biosynthetic pathway is a specific branch of the mevalonate pathway. Since the cells requirement for sterols is greater than for isoprenoids, sterol biosynthesis must be regulated independently of isoprenoid biosynthesis. In this study we explored the transcriptional regulation of squalene synthase (ERG9) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the first enzyme dedicated to the synthesis of sterols. A mutant search was performed to identify genes that were involved in the regulation of the expression of an ERG9-lacZ promoter fusion. Mutants with phenotypes consistent with known sterol biosynthetic mutations (ERG3, ERG7, ERG24) increased expression of ERG9. In addition, treatment of wild-type cells with the sterol inhibitors zaragozic acid and ketoconazole, which target squalene synthase and the C-14 sterol demethylase respectively, also caused an increase in ERG9 expression. The data also demonstrate that heme mutants increased ERG9 expression while anaerobic conditions decreased expression. Additionally, the heme activator protein transcription factors HAP1 and HAP2/3/4, the yeast activator protein transcription factor yAP-1, and the phospholipid transcription factor complex INO2/4 regulate ERG9 expression. ERG9 expression is decreased in hap1, hap2/3/4, and yap-1 mutants while ino2/4 mutants showed an increase in ERG9 expression. This study demonstrates that ERG9 transcription is regulated by several diverse factors, consistent with the idea that as the first step dedicated to the synthesis of sterols, squalene synthase gene expression and ultimately sterol biosynthesis is highly regulated.

Characterization of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae ERG26 gene encoding the C-3 sterol dehydrogenase (C-4 decarboxylase) involved in sterol biosynthesis.

All but two genes involved in the ergosterol biosynthetic pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae have been cloned, and their corresponding mutants have been described. The remaining genes encode the C-3 sterol dehydrogenase (C-4 decarboxylase) and the 3-keto sterol reductase and in concert with the C-4 sterol methyloxidase (ERG25) catalyze the sequential removal of the two methyl groups at the sterol C-4 position. The protein sequence of the Nocardia sp NAD(P)-dependent cholesterol dehydrogenase responsible for the conversion of cholesterol to its 3-keto derivative shows 30% similarity to a 329-aa Saccharomyces ORF, YGL001c, suggesting a possible role of YGL001c in sterol decarboxylation. The disruption of the YGL001c ORF was made in a diploid strain, and the segregants were plated onto sterol supplemented media under anaerobic growth conditions. Segregants containing the YGL001c disruption were not viable after transfer to fresh, sterol-supplemented media. However, one segregant was able to grow, and genetic analysis indicated that it contained a hem3 mutation. The YGL001c (ERG26) disruption also was viable in a hem 1Delta strain grown in the presence of ergosterol. Introduction of the erg26 mutation into an erg1 (squalene epoxidase) strain also was viable in ergosterol-supplemented media. We demonstrated that erg26 mutants grown on various sterol and heme-supplemented media accumulate nonesterified carboxylic acid sterols such as 4beta, 14alpha-dimethyl-4alpha-carboxy-cholesta-8,24-dien-3be ta-ol and 4beta-methyl-4alpha-carboxy-cholesta-8,24-dien-3beta-o l, the predicted substrates for the C-3 sterol dehydrogenase. Accumulation of these sterol molecules in a heme-competent erg26 strain results in an accumulation of toxic-oxygenated sterol intermediates that prevent growth, even in the presence of exogenously added sterol.

Sequencing, disruption, and characterization of the Candida albicans sterol methyltransferase (ERG6) gene: drug susceptibility studies in erg6 mutants.

The rise in the frequency of fungal infections and the increased resistance noted to the widely employed azole antifungals make the development of new antifungals imperative for human health. The sterol biosynthetic pathway has been exploited for the development of several antifungal agents (allylamines, morpholines, azoles), but additional potential sites for antifungal agent development are yet to be fully investigated. The sterol methyltransferase gene (ERG6) catalyzes a biosynthetic step not found in humans and has been shown to result in several compromised phenotypes, most notably markedly increased permeability, when disrupted in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The Candida albicans ERG6 gene was isolated by complementation of a S. cerevisiae erg6 mutant by using a C. albicans genomic library. Sequencing of the Candida ERG6 gene revealed high homology with the Saccharomyces version of ERG6. The first copy of the Candida ERG6 gene was disrupted by transforming with the URA3 blaster system, and the second copy was disrupted by both URA3 blaster transformation and mitotic recombination. The resulting erg6 strains were shown to be hypersusceptible to a number of sterol synthesis and metabolic inhibitors, including terbinafine, tridemorph, fenpropiomorph, fluphenazine, cycloheximide, cerulenin, and brefeldin A. No increase in susceptibility to azoles was noted. Inhibitors of the ERG6 gene product would make the cell increasingly susceptible to antifungal agents as well as to new agents which normally would be excluded and would allow for clinical treatment at lower dosages. In addition, the availability of ERG6 would allow for its use as a screen for new antifungals targeted specifically to the sterol methyltransferase.

A yeast sterol auxotroph (erg25) is rescued by addition of azole antifungals and reduced levels of heme.

Genetic disruption of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae C-4 sterol methyl oxidase ERG25 gene leads to sterol auxotrophy. We have characterized a suppression system that requires two mutations to restore viability to this disrupted strain. One suppressor mutation is erg11, which is blocked in 14alpha-demethylation of lanosterol and is itself an auxotroph. The second suppressor mutation required is either slu1 or slu2 (suppressor of lanosterol utilization). These mutations are leaky versions of HEM2 and HEM4, respectively; addition of exogenous hemin reverses the suppressing effects of slu1 and slu2. Suppression of erg25 by erg11 slu1 (or erg11 slu2) results in a slow-growing strain in which lanosterol, the first sterol in the pathway, accumulates. This result indicates that endogenously synthesized lanosterol can substitute for ergosterol and support growth. In the triple mutants, all but 1 (ERG6) of the 13 subsequent reactions of the ergosterol pathway are inactive. Azole antibiotics (clotrimazole, ketoconazole, and itraconazole) widely used to combat fungal infections are known to do so by inhibiting the ERG11 gene product, the 14alpha-demethylase. In this investigation, we demonstrate that treatment of the sterol auxotrophs erg25 slu1 or erg25 slu2 with azole antibiotics paradoxically restores viability to these strains in the absence of sterol supplementation via the suppression system we have described.

Evidence for a novel pentyl radical adduct of the cyclic nitrone spin trap MDL 101,002.

3,4-Dihydro-3,3-dimethyl-isoquinoline-2-oxide (MDL 101,002) is a conformationally constrained cyclic analog of the known spin trap alpha-phenyl N-tert-butyl nitrone (PBN). Because of PBN's ability to scavenge free radicals, MDL 101,002 is currently being evaluated in stroke models as a means to ameliorate the oxidative insult associated with reperfusion injury. To augment our understanding of the radical scavenging mechanism of this potential drug, MDL 101,002 was incubated with soybean lipoxygenase in the presence of linoleic acid to study the interaction between MDL 101,002 and free radicals formed during lipid peroxidation. Analysis of the reaction mixture was performed by high performance liquid chromatography using normal phase conditions with detection by atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry (APCI-MS). Similar to the work by Iwahashi et al. [Arch. Biochem. Biophys., 1991, 285, 172], who studied the spin trap alpha-(4-pyridyl-1-oxide)-N-tert-butyl nitrone (4-POBN), an adduct that suggested the trapping of pentyl radicals by MDL 101,002 was observed. However, the apparent molecular ion for this adduct (246 Da) was 1 Da lower than would be predicted if a pentyl radical had simply added to MDL 101,002. In addition, the adduct exhibited significant absorbance at 304 nm, consistent with the unsaturated nitrone structure of MDL 101,002. To account for these observations, it is postulated that, after the initial capture of a pentyl radical, subsequent abstraction of a hydrogen atom by a neighboring radical occurs to regenerate a nitrone (1-pentyl analog of MDL 101,002). We present evidence for this adduct and offer a mechanism for its formation. These findings indicate that mass spectroscopic analysis of stable nitrone radical adducts may be useful in the identification of radical-dependent damage in vivo and possibly in clinical development of MDL 101,002 as an antioxidant pharmaceutical.

Cloning and characterization of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae C-22 sterol desaturase gene, encoding a second cytochrome P-450 involved in ergosterol biosynthesis.

The ERG5 gene from Saccharomyces cerevisiae was cloned by complementation of an erg5-1 mutation using a negative selection protocol involving screening for nystatin-sensitive transformants. ERG5 is the putative gene encoding the C-22 sterol desaturase required in ergosterol biosynthesis. The functional gene was localized to a 2.15-kb SacI-EcoRI DNA fragment containing an open reading frame of 538 amino acids (aa). ERG5 contains a 10-aa motif consistent with its role as a cytochrome P-450 (CyP450) enzyme and is similar to a number of mammalian CyP450 enzymes. Gene disruption demonstrates that ERG5 is not essential for cell viability.

Cloning and characterization of ERG25, the Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene encoding C-4 sterol methyl oxidase.

We have cloned the Saccharomyces cerevisiae C-4 sterol methyl oxidase ERG25 gene. The sterol methyl oxidase performs the first of three enzymic steps required to remove the two C-4 methyl groups leading to cholesterol (animal), ergosterol (fungal), and stigmasterol (plant) biosynthesis. An ergosterol auxotroph, erg25, which fails to demethylate and concomitantly accumulates 4,4-dimethylzy-mosterol, was isolated after mutagenesis. A complementing clone consisting of a 1.35-kb Dra I fragment encoded a 309-amino acid polypeptide (calculated molecular mass, 36.48 kDa). The amino acid sequence shows a C-terminal endoplasmic reticulum retrieval signal KKXX and three histidine-rich clusters found in eukaryotic membrane desaturases and in a bacterial alkane hydroxylase and xylene monooxygenase. The sterol profile of an ERG25 disruptant was consistent with the erg25 allele obtained by mutagenesis.

Spectral analysis and structural identification of a major deflazacort metabolite in man.

1. The structure of a previously reported but uncharacterized major metabolite of deflazacort in man, designated V, has been characterized by nmr, MS and IR spectral techniques. 2. The major changes in V relative to deflazacort are deacetylation to form the 21-alcohol and A-ring modification to the 1,2-epoxy-3-hydroxy analogue. 3. Based on the spectral data and comparison with model compounds the structure, including relative stereochemistry, is (1 beta, 2 beta, 3 beta, 11 beta, 16 beta,)-1,2-epoxy-3,11,21-trihydroxy-2'-methyl-5H'-pregn-4-4-eno [17,16-d]oxazol-20-one.

Sterol synthesis and viability of erg11 (cytochrome P450 lanosterol demethylase) mutations in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida albicans.

The identification of the precise structural features of yeast sterol molecules required for the essential "sparking" function has been a controversial area of research. Recent cloning and gene disruption studies in Saccharomyces cerevisiae have shown that C-24 methylation (ERG6), C-5 desaturation (ERG3) and delta 8-delta 7 isomerization (ERG2) are not required, while C-14 demethylation (ERG11) and C-14 reduction (ERG24) are each required for aerobic viability. Earlier observations had indicated that C-14 demethylase deficient strains could be restored to aerobic growth by suppressor mutations that caused a deficiency in C-5 desaturase. These strains were reported to synthesize some ergosterol, indicating that they contained leaky mutations in both ERG11 and ERG3, thereby making it impossible to determine whether the removal of the C-14 methyl group was required for aerobic viability. The availability of the ERG11 and ERG3 genes has been used in this study to construct strains that contain null mutants in both ERG11 and ERG3. Results show that these double disruption strains are viable and that spontaneously arising suppressors of the ERG11 disruption are erg3 mutants. The erg11 mutants of S. cerevisiae are compared to similar mutants of Candida albicans that are viable in the absence of the erg3 lesion.

A simple method for the isolation of zymosterol from a sterol mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

A simple method is described for the direct isolation of zymosterol (5 alpha-cholesta-8,24-dien-3 beta-ol) of high purity from a sterol mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This yeast strain, which is a double mutant of the ERG6 (sterol transmethylase) and ERG2 (C-8 sterol isomerase) genes, accumulates zymosterol as its major sterol component.

Evidence for a lysine-specific fragmentation in fast-atom bombardment mass spectra of peptides.

A fragmentation process observed for peptides that contain lysine, or other amino acids which possess a free amino group on their sidechain, is reported. The ions generated by this process are found 16 Da below the acylium-type B ions that result from fragmentation at the C-terminal side of lysine or other amine-containing residues in fast-atom bombardment (FAB) mass spectra. These ions, which are referred to as (B-16) ions, permit differentiation between the isobaric amino acids lysine and glutamine in peptide mass spectra. High resolution measurements indicate that (B-16) ions differ in composition from the corresponding B ions by the removal of one oxygen atom. Formation is believed to occur through a cyclization process initiated by nucleophilic attack by the free amino group of the lysine sidechain at the carbon of the acylium ion (B ion). A similar process initiated directly from the protonated peptide may also occur. Analogous cyclization processes are restricted for glutamine because this residue is comparatively less nucleophilic than lysine (i.e., amide vs amine). Although (B-16) ions have been detected under high energy collisionally induced dissociation, they are formed less readily than by FAB mass spectrometry. A mechanism consistent with this observation as well as other experimental evidence is presented to account for the formation of (B-16) ions.

Cloning and disruption of the yeast C-8 sterol isomerase gene.

The yeast ERG2 gene codes for the C-8 sterol isomerase, an enzyme required for the isomerization of the delta 8 double bond to the delta 7 position in ergosterol biosynthesis. The ERG2 gene was cloned by complementation of a C-8 sterol isomerase mutant strain (erg2). The complementing region of DNA required to restore ergosterol synthesis to erg2 was limited to a 1.0 kb StuI-BglII fragment. In order to determine whether the ERG2 gene was essential for yeast viability, a LEU2 gene was inserted into the NdeI site (made blunt) of this 1.0 kb fragment. Transformation of a wild type diploid strain with the ERG2 substituted DNA resulted in the generation of viable haploids containing the erg2 null allele (erg2-4::Leu2). These results suggest that the C-8 sterol isomerase activity is not essential for yeast cell viability. This disruption represents the second ergosterol biosynthetic gene in the distal portion of the pathway to be disrupted without adversely affecting cell viability.

Cloning, disruption and sequence of the gene encoding yeast C-5 sterol desaturase.

The ERG3 gene from Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been cloned by complementation of an erg3-2 mutation. ERG3 is the putative gene encoding the C-5 sterol desaturase required for ergosterol biosynthesis. The functional gene has been localized on a 2.5-kb HindIII-BamHI fragment containing an open reading frame comprising 365 amino acids. Gene disruption resulting from a deletion/substitution demonstrates that ERG3 is not essential for cell viability or the sparking function.