A Screen for Germination Mutants in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Spore germination in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a process in which a quiescent cell begins to divide. During germination, the cell undergoes dramatic changes in cell wall and membrane composition, as well as in gene expression. To understand germination in greater detail, we screened the S. cerevisiae deletion set for germination mutants. Our results identified two genes, TRF4 and ERG6, that are required for normal germination on solid media. TRF4 is a member of the TRAMP complex that, together with the exosome, degrades RNA polymerase II transcripts. ERG6 encodes a key step in ergosterol biosynthesis. Taken together, these results demonstrate the complex nature of germination and two genes important in the process.