title: Assessment of the essentiality of ERG genes late in ergosterol biosynthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
abstract: Isogenic strains of yeast were constructed, differing only in insertionally inactivated genes for ergosterol biosynthesis. These and their allelic wild-types were grown in competition to ascertain growth differences and any selective advantage for organisms producing sterols with or without specific features of ergosterol. In every instance tested, the wild-type allele afforded a competitive advantage over the isogenic pair producing modified sterol structures instead of ergosterol. A general trend was seen in which the earlier in the biosynthetic pathway that a mutation occurred, the less able the strain producing the defective sterols could compete with the ergosterol-producing strains.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Palermo
authors.forename: F W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Leak
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tove
authors.forename: L W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Parks
mesh_terms: D050539:3-Isopropylmalate Dehydrogenase; D000429:Alcohol Oxidoreductases / Q000235:genetics; D004875:Ergosterol / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D008780:Methyltransferases / Q000235:genetics; D009154:Mutation; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000235:genetics; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D012641:Selection, Genetic
chemical_list: D010088:Oxidoreductases; D000429:Alcohol Oxidoreductases; D050539:3-Isopropylmalate Dehydrogenase; C039306:sterol delta-5 desaturase; C022672:delta(14)-sterol reductase; D008780:Methyltransferases; C022670:delta 24-sterol methyltransferase; D004875:Ergosterol