ISOLATION OF THE ERG2 GENE, ENCODING DELTA(8)-]DELTA(7) STEROL ISOMERASE, FROM THE MAIZE SMUT PATHOGEN USTILAGO-MAYDIS

The ERG2 gene encoding Delta(8) --> Delta(7) sterol isomerase has been isolated from the fungal plant pathogen Ustilago maydis. This was acc omplished by screening an U. maydis genomic library with a fragment of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae ERG2 gene. The identity of the U. maydis ERG2 gene was confirmed by complementation of an U. maydis Erg2 mutan t and by comparing the deduced amino acid sequence encoded by the U. m aydis ERG2 gene with that of the S. cerevisiae ERG2 gene product. (C) 1994 Academic Press, Inc.