title: Polygenic molecular architecture underlying non-sexual cell aggregation in budding yeast.
abstract: Cell aggregation in unicellular organisms, induced by either cell non-sexual adhesion to yield flocs and biofilm, or pheromone-driving sexual conjugation is of great significance in cellular stress response, medicine, and brewing industries. Most current literatures have focused on one form of cell aggregation termed flocculation and its major molecular determinants, the flocculation (FLO) family genes. Here, we implemented a map-based approach for dissecting the molecular basis of non-sexual cell aggregation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Genome-wide mapping has identified four major quantitative trait loci (QTL) underlying nature variation in the cell aggregation phenotype. High-resolution mapping following up with knockout and allele replacement experiments resolved the QTL into the underlying genes (AMN1, RGA1, FLO1, and FLO8) or even into the causative nucleotide. Genetic variation in the QTL genes can explain up to 46% of phenotypic variation of this trait. Of these genes, AMN1 plays the leading role, differing from the FLO family members, in regulating expression of cell clumping phenotype through inducing cell segregation defect. These findings provide novel insights into the molecular mechanism of how cell aggregation is regulated in budding yeast, and the data will be directly implicated to understand the molecular basis and evolutionary implications of cell aggregation in other fungus species.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Population & Quantitative Genetics, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China.
authors.forename: Jiarui
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiaoping
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Ou
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Luwen
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Chenqi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Shengjie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Xiaohua
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Zewei
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Luo
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D002449:Cell Aggregation; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D030541:Databases, Genetic; D005427:Flocculation; D020690:GTPase-Activating Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D055786:Gene Knockout Techniques / Q000379:methods; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D037241:Mannose-Binding Lectins / Q000235:genetics; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020412:Multifactorial Inheritance; D005810:Multigene Family; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D040641:Quantitative Trait Loci; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics*; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C473476:Amn1 protein, S cerevisiae; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; C087578:FLO1 protein, S cerevisiae; C100940:FLO8 protein, S cerevisaie; D020690:GTPase-Activating Proteins; D037241:Mannose-Binding Lectins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; C526447:Rga1 protein, S cerevisiae; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators