American researchers have identified a new gene that makes yeast resistant to a deadly toxin, according to a new study published recently in the American scientific journal the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
To study the evolution of resistance to toxins, researchers at the National Human Genome Research Institute in the United States used the type of yeast commonly used for household baking as a model organism.
The researchers analyzed the yeast infected with a virus that causes it to secrete a deadly toxin called K28. The virus has no negative effect on infected yeast. On the contrary, the infected yeasts are resistant to the effects of the toxin, according to the study.
These infected yeasts secrete the K28 toxin to eliminate uninfected yeasts growing nearby. According to the study, this gives infected yeasts an evolutionary advantage in the competition for resources.
The newly discovered gene helps certain yeasts tolerate toxins and may help scientists understand toxin resistance, according to a statement from the US National Institutes of Health released on Tuesday.