Many kinds of yeasts are known to show sexual reproduction in their life cycles. In the sexual process of certain species, conjugation between two mating-type cells is observed. The presences of regulating substances, mating pheromones, in the process have been demonstrated in several yeasts. From an ascomyceteous yeast,
Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we have isolated a peptide, α substance-I
A, which regulates sexual agglutination in the mating reaction, and revealed its structure as a dodecapeptide. We have also isolated a lipopeptide, rhodotorucine
A, from a heterobasidiomyceteous yeast,
Rhodosporidium toruloides as a factor to induce mating tube formation. Rhodotorucine A was found to be a novel lipopeptide having a farnesyl side chain. In this article, chemical studies of these mating pheromones are reviewed togather with the related works.
View full abstract