A codon change in beta-tubulin which drastically affects microtubule structure in Drosophila melanogaster fails to produce a significant phenotype in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
The relative uniformity of microtubule ultrastructure in almost all eukaryotic cells is thought to be a consequence of the conserved elements of tubulin sequence. In support of this idea, a mutation in a beta-tubulin gene of Drosophila melanogaster, occurring at a highly conserved position, produces U-shaped microtubules, suggesting a defect in either nucleation or packing during assembly (M. T. Fuller, J. H. Caulton, J. A. Hutchens, T. C. Kaufman, and E. C. Raff, J. Cell Biol. 104:385-394, 1987, and J. E. Rudolph, M. Kimble, H. D. Hoyle, M. A. Subler, and E. C. Raff, Mol. Cell. Biol. 7:2231-2242, 1987). Surprisingly, we find that introducing the same mutation into the sole beta-tubulin gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae has virtually no consequences for microtubule structure or function in that organism.
Praitis
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Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02139.
Katz
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Solomon
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D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001542:Benomyl / Q000494:pharmacology; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D015153:Blotting, Western; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003062:Codon; D004271:DNA, Fungal; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial / Q000235:genetics; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D008870:Microtubules / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D010641:Phenotype; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D013696:Temperature; D014170:Transformation, Genetic; D014404:Tubulin / Q000235:genetics*
D003062:Codon; D004271:DNA, Fungal; D014404:Tubulin; D001542:Benomyl