Coding repeat instability in the FLO11 gene of Saccharomyces yeasts.
In Saccharomyces yeasts, the FLO11 gene encodes an adhesin involved in filamentation, invasive growth, flocculation and adherence to solid surfaces. In wild Saccharomyces flor yeasts, a particularly expanded FLO11 allele also confers to these yeasts the ability to float under stressing liquid environments. We report here that, under optimal laboratory conditions, the repeats domain of the FLO11 gene in these wild yeasts is extremely unstable. Changes in length in the FLO11 coding repeats domain affected Flo11p-associated functions but, interestingly, some of these functions were affected more than others. Therefore, length variations in this single gene provide a combinatorial diversity, which may contribute to a very rapid adaptation to fluctuating environments. Functional analysis of contracted alleles indicated that buoyancy was not associated to FLO11 length. In contrast, this property depended on the different types of repetitive units found in this gene. Thus, not only variations in the number of intragenic repeats but also the abundance and/or distribution of the different repetitive units may have phenotypic and evolutionary implications.
Fidalgo
Manuel
M
Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo, Universidad Pablo de Olavide/CSIC, Sevilla, Spain.
Barrales
Ramon R
RR
Jimenez
Juan
J
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D010641:Phenotype; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid / Q000235:genetics*; D012440:Saccharomyces / Q000235:genetics; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D020080:Tandem Repeat Sequences / Q000235:genetics
C110690:FLO11 protein, S cerevisiae; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins