| Title: | Creation of Stable Heterothallic Strains of Komagataella phaffii Enables Dissection of Mating Gene Regulation |
| Author(s): | Heistinger L; Gasser B; Mattanovich D; |
| Address: | "Christian Doppler Laboratory for Innovative Immunotherapeutics at Department of Biotechnology, BOKU-University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Vienna, Austria. Department of Biotechnology, BOKU-University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Vienna, Austria. Department of Biotechnology, BOKU-University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Vienna, Austria diethard.mattanovich@boku.ac.at" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1098-5549 (Electronic) 0270-7306 (Print) 0270-7306 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "The methylotrophic yeast Komagataella phaffii (Pichia pastoris) is homothallic and has been reported to switch mating type by an ancient inversion mechanism. Two mating-type (MAT) loci include homologs of the MATa and MATalpha transcription factor genes, with the expression from one locus downregulated by telomere position effects. However, not much is known about mating gene regulation, since the mixture of mating types complicates detailed investigations. In this study, we developed K. phaffii strains with stable mating types by deletion of the inverted-repeat region required for mating-type switching. These heterothallic strains retain their ability to mate with cells of the opposite mating type and were used to further elucidate mating gene regulation. Functional analysis of MAT mutant strains revealed the essential role of MATa2 and MATalpha1 in diploid cell formation. Disruption of MATa1 or MATalpha2 did not affect mating; however, in diploid cells, both genes are required for sporulation and the repression of shmoo formation. The heterothallic strains generated in this study allowed the first detailed characterization of mating gene regulation in K. phaffii They will be a valuable tool for further studies investigating cell-type-specific behavior and will enable in-depth genetic analyses and strain hybridization in this industrially relevant yeast species" |
| Keywords: | "Gene Deletion *Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid Reproduction/*genetics Saccharomycetales/*genetics/physiology Komagataella phaffii MAT genes MAT locus Pichia pastoris heterothallic strains mating mating type pheromone;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineHeistinger, Lina Gasser, Brigitte Mattanovich, Diethard eng W 1224/FWF_/Austrian Science Fund FWF/Austria Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2017/10/25 Mol Cell Biol. 2017 Dec 29; 38(2):e00398-17. doi: 10.1128/MCB.00398-17. Print 2018 Jan 15" |
