The Gα subunit signals through the Ste50 protein during the mating pheromone response in the yeast Kluyveromyces lactis

Eukaryot Cell. 2011 Apr;10(4):540-6. doi: 10.1128/EC.00285-10. Epub 2011 Feb 18.

Abstract

Yeast mating signal transduction pathways require a heterotrimeric G protein composed of Gα, Gβ, and Gγ subunits connected to a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) module. While in Saccharomyces cerevisiae elimination of Gα induces constitutive activation of the mating pathway, in Kluyveromyces lactis it produces partial sterility, which indicates that K. lactis Gα (KlGα) is required to positively activate mating. We use physical interaction experiments to determine that KlGα interacts with the adaptor protein KlSte50p. The Ras association (RA) domain of KlSte50p favored interaction with the GDP-bound KlGα subunit, and when the KlGα protein is constitutively activated, the interaction drops significantly. Additionally, KlSte50p strongly associates with the MAPK kinase kinase (MAPKKK) KlSte11p through its sterile alpha motif (SAM) domain. Genetic experiments placed KlSte50p downstream of the G protein α subunit, indicating that KlGα may stimulate the mating pathway via KlSte50p. Fusion of KlSte50p to the KlGβ subunit partially eliminated the requirement of KlGα for mating, indicating that one contribution of KlGα to the mating pathway is to facilitate plasma membrane anchoring of KlSte50p.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Base Sequence
  • Fungal Proteins / genetics
  • Fungal Proteins / metabolism*
  • GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits / genetics
  • GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits / metabolism*
  • Kluyveromyces / genetics
  • Kluyveromyces / physiology*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Pheromones / metabolism*
  • Protein Subunits / genetics
  • Protein Subunits / metabolism
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction / physiology*
  • Two-Hybrid System Techniques

Substances

  • Fungal Proteins
  • GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits
  • Pheromones
  • Protein Subunits
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins