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. 1990 Dec;126(4):799–812. doi: 10.1093/genetics/126.4.799

Kem Mutations Affect Nuclear Fusion in Saccharomyces Cerevisiae

J Kim 1, P O Ljungdahl 1, G R Fink 1
PMCID: PMC1204279  PMID: 2076815

Abstract

We have identified mutations in three genes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, KEM1, KEM2 and KEM3, that enhance the nuclear fusion defect of kar1-1 yeast during conjugation. The KEM1 and KEM3 genes are located on the left arm of chromosome VII. Kem mutations reduce nuclear fusion whether the kem and the kar1-1 mutations are in the same or in different parents (i.e., in both kem kar1-1 X wild-type and kem X kar1-1 crosses). kem1 X kem1 crosses show a defect in nuclear fusion, but kem1 X wild-type crosses do not. Mutant kem1 strains are hypersensitive to benomyl, lose chromosomes at a rate 10-20-fold higher than KEM(+) strains, and lose viability upon nitrogen starvation. In addition, kem1/kem1 diploids are unable to sporulate. Cells containing a kem1 null allele grow very poorly, have an elongated rod-shape and are defective in spindle pole body duplication and/or separation. The KEM1 gene, which is expressed as a 5.5-kb mRNA transcript, contains a 4.6-kb open reading frame encoding a 175-kD protein.

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Selected References

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