The Population Biology of Drosophila and Yeasts in Relationship to Their Host Plants

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Killer yeasts produce extracellular proteins that are toxic to other yeasts. The yeast Pichia kluyveri has several forms that differ in their ability to make killer toxins. The differences are known to be determined by nuclear genes in the natural populations of this yeast. The research described in this proposal will investigate the effects of the genes controlling killer toxin production in P. kluyveri on the ability of this yeast to survive and reproduce. The research is primarily focused on the problem of how genes for production of killer toxins are maintained in natural populations and why some populations contain both killer positive and killer negative strains. This work should add to our understanding of how genetic diversity is maintained in natural communities as well as the role of killer systems in the natural environment. Killer yeasts are also important as contaminants in industry, particularly the brewing industry, so this research may be useful in understanding the killer yeasts that are problems in industrial fermentation.