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Induction of yeast mating pheromone a-factor by α cells

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Abstract

Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells of a and α mating types constitutively secrete cell-specific peptide mating pheromones. a-Factor is secreted by a cells and acts on α cells, while α-factor is secreted by α cells and acts on a cells. Confirming preliminary studies1, we demonstrate here that cultures of a cells contain higher than constitutive levels of a-factor activity when grown with α cells or α-factor. This induction of a-factor may result from increased synthesis or increased secretion of a-factor, as opposed to modification or stabilization of preexisting a-factor, as part of the a cell response to α-factor, as an a ste2 mutant (which cannot respond to α-factor) is not induced by α-factor. In mixed cultures inoculated with equal numbers of a cells and α cells, a cells predominate by stationary phase. Thus, a series of sequential interactions between a and α cells may be involved in establishing optimal hormone concentrations and cell ratios for conjugation2.

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Author notes

  1. Joan R. Strazdis

    Present address: Department of Biochemical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, 08544, USA

  2. Vivian L. MacKay: On leave at: Zymos Corporation, 2121 North 35th Street, Seattle, Washington 98103, USA.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Waksman Institute of Microbiology, Rutgers, The State University, PO Box 759, Piscataway, New Jersey, 08854, USA

    Joan R. Strazdis & Vivian L. MacKay

Authors
  1. Joan R. Strazdis
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  2. Vivian L. MacKay
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Strazdis, J., MacKay, V. Induction of yeast mating pheromone a-factor by α cells. Nature 305, 543–545 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1038/305543a0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/305543a0

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