Association between cell wall-related processes and functionally non-annotated factors important for K2 susceptibility

Abstract

Seventy one genes, previously determined as important for K2 killer protein susceptibility and not annotated in the Saccharomyces Genome Database (SGD), were analyzed by applying computational analysis and investigation of toxin binding efficiency. Links between 44 unknown ORF products and proteins related to cell wall processes were observed. Out of them, 17 single gene knockout mutants express the altered K2 toxin binding phenotype. The  comparison of both approaches allowed assignment of 6 previously non-annotated gene products (Slp1, Tda1, Nba1, Ecm3, Ykr046C, and Ybr287W) as functionally associated with cell wall structure maintenance and biogenesis processes, confirming possible involvement in K2 receptor formation.