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. 1991 Dec;19(25):7043–7047. doi: 10.1093/nar/19.25.7043

The ste4+ gene, essential for sexual differentiation of Schizosaccharomyces pombe, encodes a protein with a leucine zipper motif.

N Okazaki 1, K Okazaki 1, K Tanaka 1, H Okayama 1
PMCID: PMC332508  PMID: 1766866

Abstract

Ste4- mutants of Schizosaccharomyces pombe are unable to undergo both mating and meiosis. We have cloned the ste4+ gene and its cDNA. The gene encodes a 264 amino acid protein with a typical leucine zipper motif homologous with the jun family. However, unlike the jun family, this protein does not have a typical basic region that precedes the leucine zipper. The transcription of this gene absolutely depends on the ste11+ gene and increases several fold upon nitrogen starvation, a general signal for sexual differentiation. Whereas ste4+ is essential for mating and meiosis, its overexpression inhibits these processes.

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Selected References

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