Assessment of the Essentiality of ERG Genes Late in Ergosterol Biosynthesis inSaccharomyces Cerevisiae

摘要

Fungal biodegradation accounts for enormous damage to stored material throughdegradation and the production of secondary metabolites. We are seeking to identify reactions that are essential to the survival of fungi. Those involved in sterol biosynthesis have been shown to be required for cell growth and amenable to control by antifungal compounds. We have shown that interconversion of sterols between free and esterified forms maintains the basic level of free sterols. We have identified two conditional mutants that have a defect in sterol esterification which is attendant to inhibition of cell growth. Additional experiments used mutations in the structural genes for ergosterol biosynthesis to assess their essentiality for the fungi.