Open AccessBacterial Toxin-Antitoxin Gene System as Containment Control in Yeast Cells
Author(s) -
Peter Kristoffersen,
Gert B. Jensen,
Kenn Gerdes,
Jure Piškur
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
applied and environmental microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.552
H-Index - 324
eISSN - 1070-6291
pISSN - 0099-2240
DOI - 10.1128/aem.66.12.5524-5526.2000
Subject(s) - antitoxin , yeast , biology , saccharomyces cerevisiae , gene , relb , toxin , escherichia coli , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , nfkb1 , transcription factor
The potential of a bacterial toxin-antitoxin gene system for use in containment control in eukaryotes was explored. TheEscherichia coli relE andrelB genes were expressed in the yeastSaccharomyces cerevisiae . Expression of therelE gene was highly toxic to yeast cells. However, expression of therelB gene counteracted the effect ofrelE to some extent, suggesting that toxin-antitoxin interaction also occurs inS. cerevisiae . Thus, bacterial toxin-antitoxin gene systems also have potential applications in the control of cell proliferation in eukaryotic cells, especially in those industrial fermentation processes in which the escape of genetically modified cells would be considered highly risky.