The mcm17 mutation of yeast shows a size-dependent segregational defect of a mini-chromosome

Roy, N. ; Poddar, Atasi ; Lohia, Anuradha ; Sinha, P. (1997) The mcm17 mutation of yeast shows a size-dependent segregational defect of a mini-chromosome Current Genetics, 32 (3). pp. 182-189. ISSN 0944-5196

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Official URL: http://www.springerlink.com/content/ema3g7tf3kjv51...

Related URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s002940050264

Abstract

Mini-chromosome-maintenance (mcm) mutants were described earlier as yeast mutants which could not stably maintain mini-chromosomes. Out of these, the ARS-specific class has been more extensively studied and is found to lose chromosomes and mini-chromosomes due to a defect in the initiation of DNA replication at yeast ARSs. In the present study we have identified a number of mcm mutants which show size-dependent loss of mini-chromosomes. When the size of the mini-chromosome was increased, from about 15 kb to about 60 kb, there was a dramatic increase in its mitotic stability in these mutants, but not in the ARS-specific class of mutants. One mutant, mcm17, belonging to the size-dependent class was further characterized. In this mutant, cells carried mini-chromosomes in significantly elevated copy numbers, suggesting a defect in segregation. This defect was largely suppressed in the 60-kb mini-chromosome. A non-centromeric plasmid, the TRP1ARS1 circle, was not affected in its maintenance. This mutant also displayed enhanced chromosome-III loss during mitosis over the wild-type strain, without elevating mitotic recombination. Cloning and sequencing of MCM17 has shown it to be the same as CHL4, a gene required for chromosome stability. This gene is non-essential for growth, as its disruption or deletion from the chromosome did not affect the growth-rate of cells at 23 °C or 37 °C. This work suggests that centromere-directed segregation of a chromosome in yeast is strongly influenced by its length.

Item Type:Article
Source:Copyright of this article belongs to Springer-Verlag.
Keywords:Yeast; Mutant; mcm; Chromosome Segregation
ID Code:19463
Deposited On:22 Nov 2010 12:33
Last Modified:17 May 2016 04:00

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