Forward Genetics: Histidine Auxotrophs in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Histidine is a crucial amino acid for growth in S. cerevisiae and plays other important roles for survival in larger eukaryotes. Histidine auxotrophs, organisms that cannot synthesize histidine, often exhibit inhibited growth and development. Research of the model organism, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, illuminates eukaryotic uses of amino acids in other eukaryotes. Researchers have also begun to use histidine auxotrophs as a tag in bacterial or expression vectors. However to perform research with histidine auxotrophs, researchers must isolate them from wild type phenotypes. Our study demonstrated one technique to search for these histidine auxotrophs and it may be vital for the years to come in histidine pathway or expression vector research. Our experiment brings to light the simplicity behind much of today’s complex research by taking a basic approach to mutagenesis and selection for mutants.