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Determination of the Mating Efficiency of Haploids in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

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Published on: December 2, 2022

Mobile DNAs and switching mating types in yeast.

Laura N Rusche¹

¹Department of Biological Science, University of Buffalo, The State University of New York, New York, United States.

|June 10, 2020

Summary

The gene enabling yeast mating type switching evolved from the newly discovered weird HO gene family. This finding sheds light on the evolutionary origins of mating type determination in budding yeast.

Keywords:

Lachancea S. cerevisiae Torulaspora evolutionary biology genetics genomics homing endonucleases inteins mating-type switching yeast

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Manipulation and Analysis of Cell Cycle-Dependent Processes in Budding Yeast

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Published on: September 26, 2025

Area of Science:

* Molecular Biology
* Evolutionary Genetics
* Yeast Genetics

Background:

* Budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) exhibits mating type switching, a crucial process for its life cycle.
* The HO gene is known to be essential for initiating mating type switching.
* The evolutionary origins of the HO gene and its role in mating have remained largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

* To investigate the evolutionary history of the HO gene.
* To identify the ancestral gene family from which the HO gene originated.
* To understand the implications of this discovery for yeast mating type determination.

Main Methods:

* Comparative genomics analysis of HO and related genes across different yeast species.
* Phylogenetic analysis to reconstruct the evolutionary relationships.
* Functional analysis of putative ancestral genes.

Main Results:

* A novel gene family, termed "weird HO", was discovered.
* The HO gene was found to have evolved from this newly identified gene family.
* Evidence suggests a conserved function related to DNA processing or regulation in the weird HO family.

Conclusions:

* The HO gene's origin traces back to the ancient weird HO gene family.
* This discovery provides a new perspective on the evolution of mating type switching mechanisms.
* Understanding the ancestral gene family can offer insights into the regulation and function of HO.