Yeast peptide pheromones, a-factor and α-factor, activate a common response mechanism in their target cells
1986; Cell Press; Volume: 47; Issue: 6 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1016/0092-8674(86)90808-1
ISSN1097-4172
Autores Tópico(s)Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
ResumoAbstract We show that in yeast the cell type specificity of pheromone response is determined solely by the species of receptor that a cell synthesizes. The two receptor-pheromone interactions are functionally interchangeable and involve the creation of a common intracellular signal. In particular, we find that provision of a-factor receptor or α-factor receptor in matα1 mutants, which normally do not express either receptor or any other a- or α-specific products, allows response to the appropriate pheromone. Moreover, provision of a-factor receptor in a cells lacking α-factor receptor restores mating competence to those cells. Finally, an aspect of pheromone response that is normally unique to a-factor action on α cells — increased transcription from the α-specific STE3 gene — can also be observed following α-factor treatment of pseudo-a cells ( matα2 ste3 ste13 ), special mutants that respond to α-factor and also have an active STE3 promoter.
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