Cloning of a yeast gene “in vivo” and its transfer as a part of an autonomously replicating unit: gene seduction

Summary

Yeast diploids containing a chromosomally integrated episomal plasmid manifest the mitotic instability of the chromosomes with the plasmid. Probably as a results of the destabilization integrated plasmid may be excised out of the chromosome. It was found that the rescue of the plasmid may be irregular, with the taking up of adjacent chromosomal gene. Using an integrant with the plasmid integrated into chromosome I very near the ADE1 locus we cloned this gene “in vivo” by selecting rescued plasmid marker LEU2. The new plasmid has retained the LEU2 gene and the capacity to replicate autonomously. This plasmid was used to transfer the cloned ADEI gene from one cell to another by transformation and from one resident chromosome to another by integration.

The phenomenon of irregular excision of an integrated episomal plasmid together with linked chromosomal gene(s) and transfer to other chromosomes or cells we propose to term Seduction.