Karwinskia humboldtiana is a poisonous plant that grows in semi desertic areas in north and central México. It produces several substances with different toxic effects. One of them designated T-514 damages severely the lung, kidney and liver, producing in the hepatoeyte large intracellular fat deposits and necrosis. Preliminary observations demonstrated that three is a decrease in the amount of peroxisomes in the hepatocytes of experimentally intoxicated rats and monkeys. To study the effect exerted by the T-514 on peroxisomes, a yeast model was selected, thus, three species: Saccha romices cerevisiae, Ilansenula polymorpha and Candida boidinii were used, because there is information concerning their peroxisome's morphology, enzyme content, biological behaviour under different culture conditions and biogenesis.
Heterozygous mutations cause genetic instability in a yeast model of cancer evolution
