Canavanine resistance and the mechanism of arginine uptake in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe

• Published in: Journal of general microbiology Vol. 130; no. 12; pp. 3265 - 3273
• Main Authors: Fantes, P.A, Creanor, J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Soc General Microbiol 01.12.1984; New York, NY Cambridge University Press
• Subjects: arginine; Arginine - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; canavanine; Canavanine - pharmacology; Crosses, Genetic; Drug Resistance, Fungal; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genes, Fungal; Growth, nutrition, metabolism, transports, enzymes. Molecular biology; Microbiology; Mutation; Mycology; nutrient uptake; Schizosaccharomyces - drug effects; Schizosaccharomyces - genetics; Schizosaccharomyces - metabolism; Schizosaccharomyces pombe; Species Specificity; yeasts; Fungi; Resistance; Yeast; Arginine; Nutrition; Inheritance; Schizosaccharomyces pombe; Mutation; Nitrogen; Transport; Thallophyta
• ISSN: 0022-1287; 1350-0872; 1465-2080
• DOI: 10.1099/00221287-130-12-3265

Department of Zoology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JT, UK ABSTRACT Summary: The mechanism of resistance to the arginine analogue L-canavanine, and of arginine uptake, were examined in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Two mutants with increased resistance to canavanine were analysed genetically: both were double mutants, and in each case one mutation conferred resistance to canavanine, while the other enhanced this resistance. Evidence is presented that can1.1 strains are defective in one system for arginine uptake, which presumably prevents entry of canavanine into the cell. This system operates in the wild-type whether the nitrogen source supplied is ammonium or glutamate. Double mutants carrying can1.1 and an arginine requirement are unable to grow on ammonium medium even when supplied with exogenous argine, while growth can occur on glutamate plus arginine. This suggested the existence of a second uptake system for arginine which is absent during growth on ammonium, and direct measurements of the rates of arginine uptake under various conditions confirmed this. Our observations closely parallel those made on the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The ability to select for or against function of the can1 gene should facilitate certain types of genetical analysis in S. pombe.