A widespread inversion polymorphism conserved among Saccharomyces species is caused by recurrent homogenization of a sporulation gene family.

Saccharomyces genomes are highly collinear and show relatively little structural variation, both within and between species of this yeast genus. We investigated the only common inversion polymorphism known in S. cerevisiae, which affects a 24-kb 'flip/flop' region containing 15 genes near the centromere of chromosome XIV.

The yeast mating-type switching endonuclease HO is a domesticated member of an unorthodox homing genetic element family.

The mating-type switching endonuclease HO plays a central role in the natural life cycle of , but its evolutionary origin is unknown. is a recent addition to yeast genomes, present in only a few genera close to . Here we show that is structurally and phylogenetically related to a family of unorthodox homing genetic elements found in and yeasts.

Population genomics shows no distinction between pathogenic Candida krusei and environmental Pichia kudriavzevii: One species, four names.

We investigated genomic diversity of a yeast species that is both an opportunistic pathogen and an important industrial yeast. Under the name Candida krusei, it is responsible for about 2% of yeast infections caused by Candida species in humans. Bloodstream infections with C.

Experimental relocation of the mitochondrial ATP9 gene to the nucleus reveals forces underlying mitochondrial genome evolution.

Only a few genes remain in the mitochondrial genome retained by every eukaryotic organism that carry out essential functions and are implicated in severe diseases. Experimentally relocating these few genes to the nucleus therefore has both therapeutic and evolutionary implications. Numerous unproductive attempts have been made to do so, with a total of only 5 successes across all organisms.

Two nuclear life cycle-regulated genes encode interchangeable subunits c of mitochondrial ATP synthase in Podospora anserina.

An F(1)F(O) ATP synthase in the inner mitochondrial membrane catalyzes the late steps of ATP production via the process of oxidative phosphorylation. A small protein subunit (subunit c or ATP9) of this enzyme shows a substantial genetic diversity, and its gene can be found in both the mitochondrion and/or nucleus. In a representative set of 26 species of fungi for which the genomes have been entirely sequenced, we found five Atp9 gene repartitions.