The CDC8 gene product is required for transformation with episomal and integrative plasmids in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The product of the yeast CDC8 gene (thymidylate kinase), which is required for chromosomal, mitochondrial and 2 mu plasmid replication, also participates in plasmid transformation processes in S. cerevisiae. The thermosensitive cdc8-1 mutant strain was transformed with episomal pDQ9 and integrative pDQ9-1 plasmids both of which carry the CDC8 gene. The results suggest that thymidylate kinase is essential for the expression of genes carried on transforming episomal plasmid DNA (probably through its replication) and is also essential for homologous recombination between chromosomal and linearized integrative plasmid DNA.