title: Baker's yeast as a tool for the development of antifungal drugs which target cell integrity - an update.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has developed into a general eukaryotic model system because of the widespread use of genetic manipulation and the availability of whole genome approaches. It can serve as a reference for gene and protein functions in pathogenic fungi. Moreover, high-throughput drug screens developed in baker's yeast are slowly being adapted to these fungi. This is of particular interest in the light of increasing numbers of fungal human and plant diseases.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This review summarizes briefly the variety of new approaches for drug development and explains resistance mechanisms that are based on modern yeast genetics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Concentrating on the cell envelope, the principles underlying different screens are explained and examples for drugs under investigation and already in use are given.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In recent years the potency of yeast genetics for drug development has been extended in an unprecedented scale. Nevertheless, the constant advent in this field, in combination with bioinformatic approaches, indicates that today we can only see the tip of the iceberg of the discoveries to be made.
authors.affiliation: Universität Osnabrück, Fachbereich Biologie/Chemie, AG Genetik, Barbarastr. 11, D-49076 Osnabrück, Germany +49 0 541 969 2290 ; +49 0 541 969 2349 ; heinisch@biologie.uni-osnabrueck.de.
authors.forename: Jürgen J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Heinisch