The Saccharomyces cerevisiae SCS7 and SUR2 genes are members of a gene family that encodes enzymes that desaturate or hydroxylate lipids. Sur2p is required for the hydroxylation of C-4 of the sphingoid moiety of ceramide, and Scs7p is required for the hydroxylation of the very long chain fatty acid. Neither SCS7 nor SUR2 are essential for growth, and lack of the Scs7p-or Sur2p-dependent hydroxylation does not prevent the synthesis of mannosyldiinositolphosphorylceramide, the mature sphingolipid found in yeast. Deletion of either gene suppresses the Ca 2؉ -sensitive phenotype of csg2⌬ mutants, which arises from overaccumulation of inositolphosphorylceramide due to a defect in sphingolipid mannosylation. Characterization of scs7 and sur2 mutants is expected to provide insight into the function of ceramide hydroxylation.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.