Species-specific production of nitrogen signaling factors that mediate cell-cell communication in yeast

In the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, 10(R)-acetoxy-8(Z)-octadecenoic acid and 10(R)-hydroxy-8(Z)-octadecenoic acid (collectively termed nitrogen signaling factors, NSFs), function as signaling molecules mediating cell-cell communication in nitrogen catabolite repression. However, it remains unclear whether production of these compounds is conserved across related yeasts. Here, we developed a sensitive liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based method for their absolute quantification and applied it to diverse yeast species. Both compounds were detected in Schizosaccharomyces octosporus, Schizosaccharomyces osmophilus, Schizosaccharomyces cryophilus as well as in S. pombe, but not in Schizosaccharomyces japonicus or Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Moreover, natural isolates of S. pombe produced levels similar to or lower than those of the laboratory strain. These findings indicate that the ability to produce NSFs is partially conserved within the Schizosaccharomyces genus and suggest that these molecules are utilized across related species in nature.