Alpha-Factor

α-factor pheromone – WHWLQLKPGQPMY: To induce a yeast cells’ shmoo projection, WHWLQLKPGQPMY pheromone (or alpha mating factor) is produced by α yeast cells. This signaling peptide is part of the MFAL1_YEAST protein (UniProt: P01149) that excretes its active factor into the culture medium to act on the opposite mating type). α mating factor is a 13 residues peptide inducing the expression of necessary mating genes ( 200 genes – 3% of the yeast’s genome) to arrest yeast cell cycle in the G1 phase, while altering cell surface and nuclear determinants, towards MATa and MATα fusion. WHWLQLKPGQPMY interacts with its complementary pheromone, a-factor, which is a 12 residues peptide (YIIKGVFWDPAC) that is covalently attached to farnesyl to generate the appropriate response upon α pheromone activation. Alpha factor applications: Cell cycle, Cellular morphology, Transcriptional induction, Signal transduction pathways.