The process of yeast reproduction does not have mating genes

A type of sexual cycle pathogenic yeast is able to turn into sexual intercourse in spite of a lack of reproductive genes. And when infected with humans, it retains this ability, according to Duke University Medical Center researchers.

Joseph Heitman, a doctor, a doctor and a director of the Center for Microbial Pathology at Duke University's Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, said: 'The ability to have sex plays an important role for The evolutionary success of Candida yeast. The fact that it has a complete sexual intercourse has a certain meaning in the evolution of its ability to fight off the drugs of this pathogenic yeast. '

Yeast infection is particularly difficult to treat and yeast is one of the most successful pathogens and microorganisms in nature. A biological organism is an animal that benefits from connecting with another creature without affecting each other. People who are susceptible to 3 types of yeast infections: thrush (in the mouth and throat), gynecological infections, and sometimes serious infection in blood and internal organs, such as kidneys.

In the article published online in May 25 in Nature, Heitman's team said that eight species of Candida, with complete sexual intercourse, lack of many reproductive genes found in other species. .

Co-author Jennifer Reedy said: 'This unrecognized intercourse means we need to develop new treatments to deal with what actually happens to people infected with yeast' . Along with co-author Anna Floyd, Heitman and Reedy sought answers to this problem in a study published in Curren Biology magazine on May 14. The main question is: how can yeast be creating intercourse spores when they lack a lot of genes responsible for cell division, the division of sex cells reduces the number of chromosomes in half in the offspring?

Microscopic image (enlarged 200 times) of Candida albicans. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

By determining the structure and function of the mating genes in yeast, Reedy found that Candida enzymes also undergo cell division but form a number of different types in their lives.About two-thirds have a 50:50 chromosome from a parent cell, but a third has a chromosome, or even a double chromosome.

Reedy said: 'What we found is that the mating ring has a new way to create genetic diversity, and it provides a special advantage from which we can understand the reproductive mechanism. . This provides a new direction for new research on mating through mating. '

Heitman said that the cell division of Candida without the cell division gene could give the generation of unusual chromosomes ' or the absence of these genes is to create the genetic diversity direction, or the types of offspring. The difference is the undesirable outcome of cell division without the structure that unusual species have. '

Humans also have suitable chromosomes. Reedy said: 'Experts estimate that 10 to 30% of human eggs or mixed products may be unjustified, with chromosomes from mothers and fathers not paired exactly 1 to 1, but most These forms do not go to pregnancy. Therefore, we need to look for models like yeast, so that we can learn about human conditions'.

The Current Biology study is funded by the National Institutes of Health / NIAID. Dr. Heitman's research in Nature is funded by the NIH / National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).

References:
1. Butler et al. Evolution of pathogenicity and sexual reproduction in eight Candida genomes. Nature, 2009; DOI: 10.1038 / nature08064
2. Reedy et al.Mechanistic Plasticity of Sexual Reproduction and Meiosis in the Candida Pathogenic Species Complex.Current Biology, 2009;DOI: 10.1016 / j.cub.2009.04.058