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Genetics

Title:		Role of alpha-factor and the MF alpha 1 alpha-factor precursor in mating in yeast
Author(s):		Caplan S; Kurjan J;
Address:		"Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027"
Journal Title:		Genetics
Year:		1991
Volume:		127
Issue:		2
Page Number:		299 - 307
DOI:		10.1093/genetics/127.2.299
ISSN/ISBN:		0016-6731 (Print) 0016-6731 (Linking)
Abstract:		"The peptide pheromones secreted by a and alpha cells (called a-factor and alpha-factor, respectively) are each encoded by two structural genes. For strains of either mating type, addition of exogenous pheromone does not alleviate the mating defect of mutants with disruptions of both structural genes. In addition, a particular insertion mutation in the major alpha-factor structural gene (MF alpha 1) that should result in an altered product inhibits alpha mating. These results suggested that the pheromone precursors (the MF alpha 1 pro region in particular) might play a second role in mating separate from the role of pheromone production. To analyze the role of alpha-factor and the MF alpha 1 precursor in alpha mating, we have constructed two classes of mutants. The mating defects of mutants that should produce the MF alpha 1 pro region peptide but no alpha-factor could not be alleviated by addition of exogenous alpha-factor in crosses to a wild-type a strain, indicating that the previous results were not due to an inability of the disruption mutants to produce the pro region peptide. Mutants able to produce alpha-factor, but with a variety of alterations in MF alpha 1 precursor structure, mated at levels proportional to the levels of alpha-factor produced, suggesting that the only role of the alpha-factor precursor in mating is to produce alpha-factor. Both of these results argue against a role for the MF alpha 1 pro region separate from its role in alpha-factor production.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)"
Keywords:		"Amino Acid Sequence Base Sequence *Crosses, Genetic Genes, Fungal Mating Factor Molecular Sequence Data Mutagenesis, Site-Directed Oligonucleotide Probes Peptides/genetics/*physiology Pheromones/physiology Plasmids Protein Precursors/genetics/*physiology;"
Notes:		"MedlineCaplan, S Kurjan, J eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S. 1991/02/01 Genetics. 1991 Feb; 127(2):299-307. doi: 10.1093/genetics/127.2.299"