Lesson from yeast: Mechanism of coevolution of sex pheromones and their corresponding receptors

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K16197
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 45010:Genetics-related
• Research Institution: Osaka University (2020); Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (2019)
• Principal Investigator: Seike Taisuke 大阪大学, 情報科学研究科, 助教 (80760842)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 分裂酵母 / フェロモン / 分子適合性

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Most organisms have the ability to recognize individuals of the same species. In ascomycete fungi, mating between cells of opposite mating-type depends on the molecular recognition of two peptidyl mating pheromones by their receptors. However, very few studies have focused on the stringency of pheromone receptors. The fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe has two mating types (sexes), Plus (P) and Minus (M). Here I investigated the stringency of the two receptors, Mam2 and Map3, for their respective pheromones, P-factor and M-factor, in fission yeast. I switched GPCRs between S. pombe and the closely related species S. octosporus, which showed that SoMam2 is partially functional in S. pombe, whereas SoMap3 is not interchangeable. Thus, the differences in these two receptors might reflect the significantly distinct stringency/flexibility of their respective pheromone/receptor systems, maybe allowing ascomycete fungi to generate novel prezygotic barriers within a population.

Free Research Field

遺伝学、進化学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

フェロモン認識機構はその厳密なイメージとは裏腹に「遊び・曖昧さ」も残されており、これが進化の原動力になっていると考えられている。本研究では、分裂酵母の2つのフェロモンと受容体に着目し、近縁種の遺伝子と交換することで、一方のフェロモン認識は厳密だが、もう一方は柔軟に機能するというデータを得た。そのような非対称な仕組みがフェロモンと受容体の組み合わせの変化を可能にするのかもしれない。生物のフェロモン認識機構は種の維持にとって重要な「厳密な部分」と変化に柔軟に対応できる「曖昧な部分」を両方備え持っているようであり、本研究の成果はフェロモンの変化のメカニズムの手がかりを与えることが期待できる。