A Candida albicans gene expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae results in a distinct pattern of mRNA processing.

Two plasmids (derived from YCplac22 and YEplac112) carrying a Candida albicans gene (including the 5' non-coding promoter sequences) coding for a 30 kDa membrane-bound protein, were used to transform Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells. A 30 kDa protein was immunodetected by Western blot in the membrane fraction of transformants. Northern analysis showed the presence of three mRNA species (of about 1.1, 0.7 and 0.5 kb) hybridizing with the C. albicans gene as a probe. The same result was obtained using the 5' and 3' regions of the gene as probes, whereas only a 1.1 kb mRNA was found in C. albicans and none was detected in S. cerevisiae control transformants. Thus, heterologous expression of this gene in S. cerevisiae results in a distinct pattern of mRNA processing, either due to the location on plasmid vectors and/or to differences in the mRNA processing systems in the two microorganisms.