« Previous AbstractEffect of the combined application of microencapsulated synthetic oviposition pheromone (MSP) with different larvicidal agents on the oviposition of Culex pipiens biotype molestus    Next Abstract"Biogenesis of yeast a-factor involves prenylation, methylation and a novel export mechanism" »

Mol Cell Biol

Title:		The a-factor pheromone of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is essential for mating
Author(s):		Michaelis S; Herskowitz I;
Address:		"Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0448"
Journal Title:		Mol Cell Biol
Year:		1988
Volume:		8
Issue:		3
Page Number:		1309 - 1318
DOI:		10.1128/mcb.8.3.1309-1318.1988
ISSN/ISBN:		0270-7306 (Print) 1098-5549 (Electronic) 0270-7306 (Linking)
Abstract:		"The Saccharomyces cerevisiae pheromone a-factor is produced by a cells and interacts with alpha cells to cause cell cycle arrest and other physiological responses associated with mating. Two a-factor structural genes, MFA1 and MFA2, have been previously cloned with synthetic probes based on the a-factor amino acid sequence (A. Brake, C. Brenner, R. Najarian, P. Laybourn, and J. Merryweather, cited in M.-J. Gething [ed.], Protein transport and secretion, 1985). We have examined the function of these genes in a-factor production and mating by construction and analysis of chromosomal null mutations. mfa1 and mfa2 single mutants each exhibited approximately half the wild-type level of a-factor activity and were proficient in mating, whereas the mfa1 mfa2 double mutant produced no a-factor and was unable to mate. These results demonstrate that both genes are functional, that each gene makes an equivalent contribution to the a-factor activity and mating capacity of a cells, and that a-factor plays an essential role in mating. Strikingly, exogenous a-factor did not alleviate the mating defect of the double mutant, suggesting that an a cell must be producing a-factor to be an effective mating partner"
Keywords:		"Amino Acid Sequence Base Sequence Cloning, Molecular DNA, Fungal/genetics Gene Expression Regulation *Genes Genes, Fungal Mating Factor Molecular Sequence Data Mutation Nucleic Acid Hybridization Peptide Biosynthesis Peptides/*genetics/physiology Pheromon;"
Notes:		"MedlineMichaelis, S Herskowitz, I eng AI18738/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/ F32 GM09934/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/ GM31286/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/ Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S. 1988/03/01 Mol Cell Biol. 1988 Mar; 8(3):1309-18. doi: 10.1128/mcb.8.3.1309-1318.1988"