Autocrine response of Schizosaccharomyces pombe haploid cells to mating pheromones.
The mating response of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe is mediated by mating pheromones, M-factor and P-factor, produced by h- and h+ cells, respectively. When the M-factor receptor (Map3) was ectopically expressed in h- cells lacking the P-factor receptor (Mam2), they acquired mating competence in response to M-factor which they secreted. The autocrine response to P-factor in h- cells was so weak that mating competence was not acquired, although expression of the pheromone-responsive gene matl-Pm was detected. These observations support the notion that the intensity of cellular response to mating phermones is different between h- and h+ cells, although downstream pathways of the pheromone receptors are shared by the two mating types.
Kitamura K, Nakamura T, Miki F, Shimoda C