title: Adaptive evolution by mutations in the FLO11 gene.
abstract: In nature, Saccharomyces yeasts manifest a number of adaptive responses to overcome adverse environments such as filamentation, invasive growth, flocculation and adherence to solid surfaces. Certain Saccharomyces wild yeasts, namely "flor yeasts," have also acquired the ability to form a buoyant biofilm at the broth surface. Here we report that mutations in a single gene, identified as FLO11, separate these "floating" yeasts from their nonfloating relatives. We have determined that the capability to form a self-supporting biofilm at the liquid surface is largely dependent on two changes in the FLO11 gene. First, we identified a 111-nt deletion within a repression region of the FLO11 promoter that significantly increases FLO11 gene expression. Secondly, we found rearrangements within the central tandem repeat domain of the coding region that yield a more hydrophobic Flo11p variant. Together, these mutations result in dramatic increase in cell surface hydrophobicity, which in turn confers these yeasts the ability to float by surface tension, an adaptive mechanism to gain direct access to oxygen within oxygen-poor liquid environments.
authors.affiliation: Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo, Universidad Pablo de Olavide/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Carretera de Utrera Km1, 41013 Sevilla, Spain.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fidalgo
authors.forename: Ramon R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Barrales
authors.forename: Jose I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Ibeas
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jimenez
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D001483:Base Sequence; D018441:Biofilms; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D014644:Genetic Variation; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D008957:Models, Genetic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012440:Saccharomyces / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: C110690:FLO11 protein, S cerevisiae; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins