Robust spatial sensing of mating pheromone gradients by yeast cells.

ABSTRACT: Projecting or moving up a chemical gradient is a universal behavior of living organisms. We tested the ability of S. cerevisiaea-cells to sense and respond to spatial gradients of the mating pheromone alpha-factor produced in a microfluidics chamber; the focus was on bar1Delta strains, which do not degrade the pheromone input. The yeast cells exhibited good accuracy with the mating projection typically pointing in the correct direction up the gradient ( approximately 80% under certain conditions), excellent sensitivity to shallow gradients, and broad dynamic range so that gradient-sensing was relatively robust over a 1000-fold range of average alpha-factor concentrations. Optimal directional sensing occurred at lower concentrations (5 nM) close to the K(d) of the receptor and with steeper

SUBMITTER: Moore TI 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2586657 | biostudies-literature | 2008

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature