Isolation and analysis of a novel class of suppressor of Ty insertion mutations in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Abstract

Using a new scheme for the isolation of suppressor of Ty insertion mutations (spt mutations) in yeast, we have identified six new SPT genes. Mutations in two of these genes, SPT13 and SPT14, exhibit a novel suppression pattern: suppression of complete Ty insertion mutations, but not of solo delta insertion mutations. Transcriptional analysis shows that spt13- and spt14-mediated suppression of Ty insertion mutations is the result of an elevation in the levels of adjacent gene transcription. In spite of the failure of these mutations to suppress solo delta insertion mutations, they do cause changes in transcription of at least one solo delta insertion mutation. In addition, spt13 and spt14 mutations are epistatic to mutations in certain other SPT genes that do suppress solo delta insertion mutations. These results suggest that the SPT13 and SPT14 gene products may act via sequences in both the delta and epsilon regions of Ty elements. Finally, mutations in SPT13 cause sporulation and mating defects and SPT14 is essential for growth, suggesting that these two genes have important roles in general cellular functions.