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J Cell Biol

Title:		Ergosterol promotes pheromone signaling and plasma membrane fusion in mating yeast
Author(s):		Jin H; McCaffery JM; Grote E;
Address:		"Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA"
Journal Title:		J Cell Biol
Year:		2008
Volume:		180
Issue:		4
Page Number:		813 - 826
DOI:		10.1083/jcb.200705076
ISSN/ISBN:		1540-8140 (Electronic) 0021-9525 (Print) 0021-9525 (Linking)
Abstract:		"Ergosterol depletion independently inhibits two aspects of yeast mating: pheromone signaling and plasma membrane fusion. In signaling, ergosterol participates in the recruitment of Ste5 to a polarized site on the plasma membrane. Ergosterol is thought to form microdomains within the membrane by interacting with the long acyl chains of sphingolipids. We find that although sphingolipid-free ergosterol is concentrated at sites of cell-cell contact, transmission of the pheromone signal at contact sites depends on a balanced ratio of ergosterol to sphingolipids. If a mating pair forms between ergosterol-depleted cells despite the attenuated pheromone response, the subsequent process of membrane fusion is retarded. Prm1 also participates in membrane fusion. However, ergosterol and Prm1 have independent functions and only prm1 mutant mating pairs are susceptible to contact-dependent lysis. In contrast to signaling, plasma membrane fusion is relatively insensitive to sphingolipid depletion. Thus, the sphingolipid-free pool of ergosterol promotes plasma membrane fusion"
Keywords:		"Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing/metabolism Cell Communication/drug effects/physiology Cell Membrane/drug effects/*metabolism Ergosterol/*metabolism/pharmacology Membrane Fusion/drug effects/*physiology Membrane Microdomains/drug effects/metabolism Me;"
Notes:		"MedlineJin, Hui McCaffery, J Michael Grote, Eric eng S10 RR023454/RR/NCRR NIH HHS/ S10 RR022588-01/RR/NCRR NIH HHS/ S10 RR023454-01/RR/NCRR NIH HHS/ S10 RR022588/RR/NCRR NIH HHS/ S10 RR019409-01/RR/NCRR NIH HHS/ S10 RR021023-01/RR/NCRR NIH HHS/ Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2008/02/27 J Cell Biol. 2008 Feb 25; 180(4):813-26. doi: 10.1083/jcb.200705076"