Yeast colonies synchronise their growth and development.

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Chemical Ecology
• Developmental Biology

Background:

• Multicellular organisms communicate via signals, influencing behavior.
• Yeast colonies, as organized multicellular structures, were previously shown to communicate via volatile ammonia pulses.
• Ammonia production in yeast colonies is linked to medium acidification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the long-distance communication mechanism in yeast colonies.
• To determine if ammonia production can be induced in neighboring colonies.
• To understand the morphological and growth changes associated with ammonia production and colony synchronization.

Main Methods:

• Experimental setup involving individual and surrounding yeast colonies (Candida mogii).
• Introduction of artificial ammonia sources to induce responses.
• Observation and analysis of colony morphology, cell morphology, and growth patterns.
• Monitoring of ammonia (NH(3)) pulses and medium pH.

Main Results:

• An actively producing colony induces synchronized ammonia production in surrounding colonies, irrespective of their age.
• Artificial ammonia sources, but not ammonium or sodium hydroxide gradients, trigger ammonia production.
• Colony and cell morphology dramatically change during transitions between acidic and ammonia-producing phases, with pseudohyphae forming ruffled structures.
• Synchronization of colony growth occurs even between different yeast genera.

Conclusions:

• Yeast colonies exhibit long-distance communication through synchronized ammonia production.
• This synchronization influences colony growth and morphology.
• Such synchronized growth may play a role in optimizing yeast distribution in natural environments.