Selfing mutants link Ku proteins to mating type determination in Tetrahymena

Lin, I-Ting; Yao, Meng-Chao

doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.3000756

Cited by 10 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…This result indicates the overexpressed MTB2-eGFP protein is fully functional for mating. Interestingly, cells of this strain can also mate with one another (self-mating); a similar phenotype was previously reported for strains expressing multiple mating-type proteins (Lin & Yao, 2020). These selfing ability may be caused by the interaction between heterotypic MTRCs.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 79%

“…Exconjugants (separated pairs) finally form parent-like progeny when nutrition becomes 29 available, but remain sexually immature. After ~60 fissions, cells mature and their mating type is determined and becomes fixed (for details of mating-type determination, refer to (Cervantes et al, 2013;Lin & Yao, 2020;Orias et al, 2017)).…”

Section: Supplementary Informationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A seven-sex species recognizes self and non-self mating-type via a novel protein complex

Yan,

Ma,

Wang

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Although most species have two sexes, multisexual species (i.e., those with multiple mating types) are also widespread. However, it is unclear how mating-type recognition is achieved at the molecular level in multisexual species. The unicellular ciliateTetrahymena thermophilahas seven mating types, which are determined by the MTA and MTB proteins. In this study, we found that both proteins are essential for cells to send or receive complete mating-type information, and transmission of the mating-type signal requires both proteins to be expressed in the same cell. We found that MTA and MTB form a mating-type recognition complex that localizes to the plasma membrane, but not to the cilia. Stimulation experiments showed that the mating-type-specific regions of MTA and MTB mediate both self-and non-self-recognition, indicating thatT. thermophilauses a dual approach to achieve mating-type recognition. Our results suggest that MTA and MTB form an elaborate multifunctional protein complex that can identify cells of both self and non-self mating types in order to inhibit or activate mating, respectively.Impact statementA giant multifunctional protein complex mediates mating-type recognition through a non-ligand-receptor mechanism in a multisexual species.

show abstract

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 79%

Section: Supplementary Informationmentioning

confidence: 99%

A seven-sex species recognizes self and non-self mating-type via a novel protein complex

Yan,

Ma,

Wang

et al. 2023

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…This result indicates that the overexpressed MTB2-eGFP protein is fully functional for mating. Interestingly, cells of this strain can also mate with one another (self mating); a similar phenotype was previously reported for strains expressing multiple mating-type proteins ( Lin and Yao, 2020 ). These selfing ability may be caused by the interaction between heterotypic MTRCs.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 78%

A seven-sex species recognizes self and non-self mating-type via a novel protein complex

Yan,

Ma,

Wang

et al. 2024

eLife

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Although most species have two sexes, multisexual species (i.e., those with multiple mating types) are also widespread. However, it is unclear how mating-type recognition is achieved at the molecular level in multisexual species. The unicellular ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila has seven mating types, which are determined by the MTA and MTB proteins. In this study, we found that both proteins are essential for cells to send or receive complete mating-type information, and transmission of the mating-type signal requires both proteins to be expressed in the same cell. We found that MTA and MTB form a mating-type recognition complex that localizes to the plasma membrane, but not to the cilia. Stimulation experiments showed that the mating-type-specific regions of MTA and MTB mediate both self-and non-self-recognition, indicating that T. thermophila uses a dual approach to achieve mating-type recognition. Our results suggest that MTA and MTB form an elaborate multifunctional protein complex that can identify cells of both self and non-self mating types in order to inhibit or activate mating, respectively. A giant multifunctional protein complex mediates mating-type recognition through a non-ligand-receptor mechanism in a multisexual species.

show abstract

“…The above conclusion is supported by the findings of Lin and Yao (2020) in Tetrahymena thermophila , published while this article was under review. These authors report that starved cells expressing one complete MTA gene of one mt specificity and one complete MTB gene of different mt specificity behave as non-assorting selfers, exactly as T. shanghaiensis , regardless of which pair of different mt specificities are involved.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…its MTA and MTB genes have different mating type specificity. This conclusion is supported by the finding that T. thermophila mutants, which fail to complete MTD and are left in the MAC with intermediates containing a complete MTA and a complete MTB gene but with different mt specificity, are non-assorting selfers ( Lin and Yao, 2020 ) just like wild-type T. shanghaiensis . Evolutionarily, the T. shanghaiensis chimeric mtGP could have been generated by a simple DNA rearrangement, such as a non-homologous meiotic recombination event between two normal mtGPs of different mating types occurring at the MTA - MTB intergenic region in a heterozygote, resulting in the replacement of either gene with a homolog of different mating type specificity.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%