ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF THE SCHIZOSACCHAROMYCES-POMBE GENE ENCODING TRANSCRIPT ELONGATION-FACTOR TFIIS

A gene designated tfs1 has been isolated from Schizosaccharomyces pomb e based on its similarity to genes encoding transcription elongation f actor TFIIS. The nucleotide sequence of the tfs1 gene predicts a polyp eptide with similarity to mammalian, Drosophila and Saccharomyces cere visiae TFIIS. A haploid Sz. pombe strain with tfs1 deleted from the ge nome is viable. Thus, tfs1 is not essential for viability. However, de letion of tfs1 results in slow growth and increased sensitivity to the drug 6-azauracil, a phenotype similar to that of a S. cerevisiae stra in deleted for the gene encoding TFIIS. The DNA sequence of tfs1 has b een deposited in GenBank under Accession Number U20526.