Genetic Modification of Yeast Cell MATa in Order to Express α-factor
Session Number
A10
Advisor(s)
Ping Wei, Peking University
Location
A-113
Start Date
28-4-2016 2:00 PM
End Date
28-4-2016 2:25 PM
Abstract
Yeast, or Saccaromyces cerevisiae, can exist as MATa haploid cells, which secretes the mating pheromone a-factor, MATα haploid cells, which secretes the mating pheromone α-factor, or MATa/MATα diploid cells. MAT represents a locus that determines mating type. Several studies have shown that the mating pheromones a- factor and α-factor are functionally interchangeable. This investigation sought to determine whether MATa could be genetically modified using an integrated plasmid with a constant promoter to express α-factor. The gene that expresses α-factor was isolated in the MATα yeast cell, cut, and transferred using the integrated expression plasmid to a MATa yeast cell. The results show that α-factor can be expressed in MATa yeast cells, but at a slower rate and at a smaller amount than α-factor in MATα cells. This leads to another interesting question about the molecular mechanism underlying the difference in secretion dynamics of the same pheromone, α-factor, in the two different types of MAT yeast cells.
Genetic Modification of Yeast Cell MATa in Order to Express α-factor
A-113
Yeast, or Saccaromyces cerevisiae, can exist as MATa haploid cells, which secretes the mating pheromone a-factor, MATα haploid cells, which secretes the mating pheromone α-factor, or MATa/MATα diploid cells. MAT represents a locus that determines mating type. Several studies have shown that the mating pheromones a- factor and α-factor are functionally interchangeable. This investigation sought to determine whether MATa could be genetically modified using an integrated plasmid with a constant promoter to express α-factor. The gene that expresses α-factor was isolated in the MATα yeast cell, cut, and transferred using the integrated expression plasmid to a MATa yeast cell. The results show that α-factor can be expressed in MATa yeast cells, but at a slower rate and at a smaller amount than α-factor in MATα cells. This leads to another interesting question about the molecular mechanism underlying the difference in secretion dynamics of the same pheromone, α-factor, in the two different types of MAT yeast cells.