Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutants defective in plasmid chromosome recombination

We have studied the recombinational repair of a double-strand break (DSB) in a plasmid-borne ade2::HO-site by an intact ade2 allele following the induction of a galactose-inducible GAL-HO gene. If GAL-HO expression is not attenuated by the presence of a low level of glucose in the galactose medium, deleterious effects are observed. Our comparison of the effects of several rad mutations on the relative efficiencies of DSB repair at both the ade2::HO-site and at the chromosomal MAT locus indicate that the two processes share common functions. Not surprisingly, most of the recombination-defective mutants found using our assay are alleles of genes in the RAD52 epistasis group. The recombination and repair deficiencies vary among the different mutant groups and also among mutants within a group. In general, there is a correlation between the extents of the recombination and repair defects. Our screen also turned up a novel rfal allele with a pronounced deficiency in DSB repair and recombination and a srs2 mutation which causes only a mild defect.