A yeast mating platform for multiplex screening of fungal GPCR-ligand interactions.

ABSTRACT: Fungi are essential members across ecosystems, yet phytopathogenic fungi pose an increasing risk to crop yields. Despite their ecologic importance, cell-cell communication in fungi is underexplored, partly due to the lack of high-throughput techniques. Here, we developed a Yeast Mating Platform (YeMaP) to investigate the interaction between fungal G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and pheromone peptides. We used YeMaP for high-throughput screening of 8,000 pheromone sequences and identified peptides with improved agonism or antagonism action. We found that these peptides can be applied in a native fungal system such as the plant pathogen Fusarium oxysporum, to control hyphal chemotropism and reduce plant root penetration. Additionally, we utilized YeMaP in a one-pot assay to inves

SUBMITTER: Schiesaro G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12582325 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature