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Yeast Communication Lab

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Purpose In this experiment, we were trying to find out how yeast cells manage to communicate and thus mate asexually in order to produce offspring. In order for a message to be communicated, a signal must be sent and then received by another being; this lab will prove how yeast cells go through this communication process in order to produce a required response for the production of yeast. Background Information: Both unicellular and multicellular organisms use cell communication in order to elicit a response which helps an organism coordinate and respond to their environment. Cellular communication can occur through direct contact, local signaling, or long-distance signaling. For a response to occur, a message much reach a receptor that …show more content…

We tested A type, Alpha type, and mixed type. The key difference between these types are the different genes in Alpha and A type.. These A and alpha type can combine to make a mixed cell via signal transduction pathway. The mixed cells are a combination of A type and Alpha type, these cells can become a haploid, budding haploid, zygote, budding zygote, or a shmoo. A haploid is a single cell. A budding haploid is a single cell with a growth on the side. A zygote is two cells that look like an infinity sign. The budding zygote is 2 cells that are like infinity signs with a growth that looks like a dot. A shmoo looks like a pear, and it the two cells combining together. The mixed type can have shmoos, both haploids, and both zygotes. The A factor and alpha type only have budding haploids and diploids, this is because the A type and Alpha type had nothing to mate with. Single transduction pathways use several steps to produce a cellular response. The yeast cells use G- protein receptors system to mate. G protein receptors are also single transduction pathway. G proteins consist of a signaling molecule, a g protein, G protein coupled receptors and an enzyme. The signaling comes to bind to the G protein on the extracellular side. This causes the G protein coupled receptor to change shape on the cytoplasmic side. When the receptor changes shapes a G protein to bind to it. This activates G …show more content…

This makes sense, as this is a very secure environment in which yeast can thrive. Although yeast can reproduce when there is only one reproductive type present, best results are achieved when there is a mix. It is always better to recombine DNA and increase genetic variability than to have many others have the same DNA. It leads to a higher survival rate for the species, because one genetic defect cannot wipe out the entire species. Based on our results we conclude that alpha-type yeast has more of the mating factor signal released by yeast cells to asexually reproduce because alpha type had a much higher percentage of budding haploid cells. We also concluded that when alpha and a-type cultures of yeast are mixed they communicate by both chemical signals and direct contact to sexually reproduce with each

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