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Chemical Warfare Among the Yeasts: the “Killer” Phenomenon, Genetics and Applications

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Yeasts in Natural and Artificial Habitats

Abstract

Killer yeast strains secrete a toxin (killer toxin, killer factor, zymocin) which kills sensitive strains, but not the killers. They are ubiquitous among laboratory yeasts and isolates from nature (Table 9.1), and the killer character can be transmitted from strain to strain by hybridization, fusion with protoplasts from whole cells, or miniprotoplasts without nuclei. Transformation of protoplasts with DNA or RNA coding for killer toxin is possible. Strains lacking genes encoding killer toxins are often sensitive to one or more toxins.

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Authors
  1. V. Vondrejs
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  2. Z. Palková
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Avenida Belgrano y Pasaje Caseros, PROIMI, 4000, S.M. de Tucumán, Argentina

    John F. T. Spencer  & Dorothy M. Spencer  & 

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© 1997 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Vondrejs, V., Palková, Z. (1997). Chemical Warfare Among the Yeasts: the “Killer” Phenomenon, Genetics and Applications. In: Spencer, J.F.T., Spencer, D.M. (eds) Yeasts in Natural and Artificial Habitats. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-03370-8_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-03370-8_10

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-08160-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-662-03370-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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