ISOLATION AND SEQUENCE OF THE GENE ENCODING ORNITHINE DECARBOXYLASE, SPE1, FROM CANDIDA-ALBICANS BY COMPLEMENTATION OF A SPE1-DELTA STRAIN OF SACCHAROMYCES-CEREVISIAE

The gene encoding ornithine decarboxylase, SPE1, from the pathogenic y east Candida albicans has been isolated by complementation of an ornit hine decarboxylase-negative (spel Delta) strain of Saccharomyces cerev isiae. Four transformants, three of which contain plasmids with the SP E1 gene, were isolated by selection on polyamine-free medium. The C. a lbicans ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) showed high homology with other eukaryotic ODCs at both the amino acid and nucleic acid levels. The Ge nBank accession number for this gene is U85005. (C) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.