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5 Function and Evolution of Pheromones and Pheromone Receptors in Filamentous Ascomycetes

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Evolution of Fungi and Fungal-Like Organisms

Part of the book series: The Mycota ((MYCOTA,volume 14))

Abstract

In fungi, mating usually occurs between morphologically identical partners that are distinguished only by their mating type. Recognition of a compatible mating partner is accomplished by a pheromone/receptor system. Before fusion, cells sense and respond to mating pheromones of the compatible partner by activating a signal transduction pathway involving a seven transmembrane receptor/G protein complex linked to a mitogen-activated protein kinase module. Aspects of this pheromone/receptor system have been extensively characterized in the yeast Saccharcromyces cerevisiae. Comparison of this well understood system with pheromones and receptors in filamentous ascomycetes has generated new insights into the functions of fungal peptide pheromones. This review describes the current knowledge of the structure, evolution and function of pheromone/receptor systems in filamentous ascomycetes, with comparison to the well known S. cerevisiae system.

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  1. Genetics of Eukaryotic Microorganisms, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, August University Göttingen, Grisebachstrasse 8, 37077, Göttingen, Germany

    Stefanie Pöggeler

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  1. Stefanie Pöggeler
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Correspondence to Stefanie Pöggeler .

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  1. , Institut für Mikrobiologie und Genetik, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Grisebachstr. 8, Göttingen, 37077, Germany

    Stefanie Pöggeler

  2. , Institut für Allgemeine Mikrobiologie, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Neugasse 24, Jena, 07743, Germany

    Johannes Wöstemeyer

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Pöggeler, S. (2011). 5 Function and Evolution of Pheromones and Pheromone Receptors in Filamentous Ascomycetes. In: Pöggeler, S., Wöstemeyer, J. (eds) Evolution of Fungi and Fungal-Like Organisms. The Mycota, vol 14. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-19974-5_5

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