| Title: | Identification and characterization of the Komagataella phaffii mating pheromone genes |
| Author(s): | Heistinger L; Moser J; Tatto NE; Valli M; Gasser B; Mattanovich D; |
| Address: | "Christian Doppler Laboratory for Innovative Immunotherapeutics at Department of Biotechnology, BOKU-University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria. Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology (ACIB), Muthgasse 11, 1190 Vienna, Austria. School of Bioengineering, University of Applied Sciences FH-Campus, Muthgasse 11, 1190 Vienna, Austria. Department of Biotechnology, BOKU-University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1567-1364 (Electronic) 1567-1356 (Print) 1567-1356 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "The methylotrophic yeast Komagataella phaffii (Pichia pastoris) is a haploid yeast that is able to form diploid cells by mating once nitrogen becomes limiting. Activation of the mating response requires the secretion of a- and alpha-factor pheromones, which bind to G-protein coupled receptors on cells of opposite mating type. In K. phaffii, the genes coding for the alpha-factor (MFalpha), the pheromone surface receptors and the conserved a-factor biogenesis pathway have been annotated previously. Initial homology-based search failed to identify potential a-factor genes (MFA). By using transcriptome data of heterothallic strains under mating conditions, we found two K. phaffiia-factor genes. Deletion of both MFA genes prevented mating of a-type cells. MFA single mutants were still able to mate and activate the mating response pathway in alpha-type cells. A reporter assay was used to confirm the biological activity of synthetic a- and alpha-factor peptides. The identification of the a-factor genes enabled the first characterization of the role and regulation of the mating pheromone genes and the response of K. phaffii to synthetic pheromones and will help to gain a better understanding of the mating behavior of K. phaffii" |
| Keywords: | "DNA, Fungal/genetics Fungal Proteins/genetics Gene Deletion *Genes, Mating Type, Fungal Mating Factor/*genetics Mutation Phenotype Pichia/drug effects/*genetics Transcriptome;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineHeistinger, Lina Moser, Josef Tatto, Nadine E Valli, Minoska Gasser, Brigitte Mattanovich, Diethard eng W 1224/FWF_/Austrian Science Fund FWF/Austria Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2018/05/03 FEMS Yeast Res. 2018 Aug 1; 18(5):foy051. doi: 10.1093/femsyr/foy051" |
