The Genetics and Ecology of Toxic Yeasts

有毒酵母的遗传学和生态学

• 批准号: 9004841
• 负责人: William Starmer
• 金额: $ 23万
• 依托单位: Syracuse University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 1991
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1991-01-01 至 1994-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9004841&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Genetics; Ecology; Toxic; Yeasts

Deadly Toxic yeasts secrete proteins that are toxic to other yeasts. The P.I.s interested in evaluating the role of toxic yeasts in the organization of natural communities of yeasts species. The investigators past work has shown that these yeasts are relatively common in nature with at least one species present in all communities examined (i.e. the distinct yeasts communities associated with stem necroses of various cacti, slime fluxes of trees and decaying tissue of fruits). The P.I.'s will investigate two different yeasts, Pichia Kluyveri and P. thermotolerans, that occur in rotting fruits and decaying stems of cactus respectively. The system of Toxic P. Kluveri is especially interesting since it has a very flexible genetic system that displays species specific killing genotypes. In order to understand and link the knowledge on both the genetics and ecology the investigators will do an in depth ecological survey that assays genotypes of P. Kluyveri in conjunction with he resistance phenotypes of associated yeast species. This work, in parallel with detailed laboratory genetic analysis and field/laboratory experiments designed to reveal the adaptive significance of specific killer genotypes should allow the evaluation of the importance of toxin production to the organization of the community. The proposed work with P. thermotoloerans will provide comparative information from a relative different system; an system that is restricted terms of hosts (saguaro cactus) and geography (Sonoran Desert). The overall goal is to understand the fundamental reasons for community structure. Deadly toxins in yeasts represent an opportunity to study a case where the mechanism of interference competition is clear and unambiguous.

致命的有毒酵母会分泌对其他酵母有毒的蛋白质。P.I.感兴趣的是评估有毒酵母在酵母物种自然群落组织中的作用。研究人员过去的工作表明，这些酵母在自然界中相对常见，在所有被检查的群落中至少存在一个物种(即与各种仙人掌的茎坏死、树木的粘液流和水果的腐烂组织有关的不同的酵母群落)。P.I.S将研究两种不同的酵母菌，它们分别存在于腐烂的仙人掌果实和腐烂的仙人掌茎中。有毒的Kluveri系统特别有趣，因为它有一个非常灵活的遗传系统，显示物种特定的杀戮基因类型。为了理解和联系遗传学和生态学方面的知识，研究人员将进行一项深入的生态学调查，结合相关酵母物种的抗药性表型分析克卢伊韦氏杆菌的基因类型。这项工作与详细的实验室遗传分析和现场/实验室实验相结合，旨在揭示特定杀手基因类型的适应意义，应该能够评估毒素生产对社区组织的重要性。拟议中的对温热疫霉的研究将从一个相对不同的系统提供比较信息；该系统受到宿主(Saguaro仙人掌)和地理条件(Sonoran Desert)的限制。总体目标是了解社区结构的根本原因。酵母中的致命毒素提供了一个研究干扰竞争机制清晰而明确的案例的机会。