Schizosaccharomyces pombe: Difference between revisions
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==Description and significance== | ==Description and significance== | ||
The fission yeast ''Schizosaccharomyces pombe'' is a unicellular eukaryote that is rod shaped. They measure approximately 2 to 3 microns in diameter and 7 to 14 microns in length (2). ''S. pombe'' is usually found in sugar-containing fermentations of alcohol from the subtropical regions (5). | |||
Even though its origin dates back to quite a long time ago, it was not widely known before the 1890’s. It was discovered in 1893 when a group working in a Brewery Association Laboratory in Germany was looking at sediment found in millet beer imported from East Africa that gave it an unsavory acidic taste (8). P. Lindner was the first to describe ''Schizosaccharomyces pombe''. He chose as its epithet the Swahili word for beer, pombe. It was identified as yeast, and it became known as the fission yeast because it reproduces by means of fission unlike its relative ''Saccharomyces cerevisiae''. The name Schizosaccharomyces was assigned to it because Schizo- means “different,” which had been previously used to describe other fission species (8). | |||
The sequencing of its genome was significant since ''S. pombe'' is a single-celled living archiascomycete fungus that shares many features with cells of more complicated eukaryotes (13). Researchers have identified fifty genes of ''S. pombe'' associated with human diseases including cystic fibrosis, hereditary deafness, and diabetes (13). Researchers state that the largest group of human disease-related genes are those implicated in cancer. There are 23 such genes, and they are involved in DNA damage and repair, checkpoint controls, and the cell cycle. All these processes are involved with maintaining genomic stability (13). These discoveries are important because it will allow researchers to find out more about the evolution of one-celled and multi-celled eukaryotic organisms compared to others such as bacteria, which do not have nucleated cells. Further analyses and comparisons should reveal which genes define eukaryotic cells and the transition from one-celled to multi-celled organisms (13). | |||
==Genome structure== | ==Genome structure== | ||
Revision as of 21:29, 25 August 2007
A Microbial Biorealm page on the genus Schizosaccharomyces pombe
Classification
Higher order taxa
Superkingdom: Eukaryota, Kingdom: Fungi, Phylum: Ascomycota, Subphylum: Dikarya, Subphylum: Taphrinomycotina, Class: Schizosaccharomycetes, Order: Schizosaccharomycetales, Family: Schizosaccharomycetaceae, Genus: Schizosaccharomyces (1)
Species
Schizosaccharomyces pombe (1)
Also known as: Schizosaccharomyces malidevorans (1)
Description and significance
The fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe is a unicellular eukaryote that is rod shaped. They measure approximately 2 to 3 microns in diameter and 7 to 14 microns in length (2). S. pombe is usually found in sugar-containing fermentations of alcohol from the subtropical regions (5).
Even though its origin dates back to quite a long time ago, it was not widely known before the 1890’s. It was discovered in 1893 when a group working in a Brewery Association Laboratory in Germany was looking at sediment found in millet beer imported from East Africa that gave it an unsavory acidic taste (8). P. Lindner was the first to describe Schizosaccharomyces pombe. He chose as its epithet the Swahili word for beer, pombe. It was identified as yeast, and it became known as the fission yeast because it reproduces by means of fission unlike its relative Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The name Schizosaccharomyces was assigned to it because Schizo- means “different,” which had been previously used to describe other fission species (8).
The sequencing of its genome was significant since S. pombe is a single-celled living archiascomycete fungus that shares many features with cells of more complicated eukaryotes (13). Researchers have identified fifty genes of S. pombe associated with human diseases including cystic fibrosis, hereditary deafness, and diabetes (13). Researchers state that the largest group of human disease-related genes are those implicated in cancer. There are 23 such genes, and they are involved in DNA damage and repair, checkpoint controls, and the cell cycle. All these processes are involved with maintaining genomic stability (13). These discoveries are important because it will allow researchers to find out more about the evolution of one-celled and multi-celled eukaryotic organisms compared to others such as bacteria, which do not have nucleated cells. Further analyses and comparisons should reveal which genes define eukaryotic cells and the transition from one-celled to multi-celled organisms (13).
Genome structure
Cell structure and metabolism
Describe any interesting features and/or cell structures; how it gains energy; what important molecules it produces.
Ecology
S. pombe is found in alcoholic beverages, and therefore, it does not play a role in the environment. However, it is one of the yeasts that play an important role in the ecology of Kombucha fermentation (5). Kombucha is a traditional fermentation of sweetened tea, involving a symbiosis of yeast species and acetic acid bacteria. The study of yeast ecology in Kombucha fermentation reveals that S. pombe works with other yeast species such as B. bruxellensis, C. stellata, T. delbrueckii, and Z. bailii (5). S. pombe and other yeasts would ferment the sugar in the tea medium to ethanol, and then ethanol is oxidized by the acetic acid bacteria to produce acetic acid. S. pombe is suited to the Kombucha environment because of its ability to tolerate high-sugar foods (5). Isolates of S. pombe, T. delbrueckki and Z. bailii exhibit tolerance up to 60% glucose concentration and are commonly associated with alcoholic fermentation for wine and champagne production. As the fermentation progressed, species with low acid tolerance decreased in population (5). Species such as S. pombe, with moderate tolerance to acidic conditions, die off after day 10. In general, Kombucha fermentation is initiated by osmotolerant species of yeast, which are capable of growing in the presence of high concentrations of sugar. The process is then succeeded and ultimately dominated by acid-tolerant species (5).
Pathology
The yeast Schizosaccaromyces pombe is a harmless, rapidly growing eukaryote. Therefore, there are no pathologies associated with this particular organism (2).
Application to Biotechnology
As of now, S. pombe is not used in any applications to biotechnology but remains an important model used in researching cell division in molecular genetics and cell biology (1).
Current Research
Enter summaries of the most recent research here--at least three required
References
Edited by student of Rachel Larsen
